Weather doesn’t affect Covid’s spread
(Monica Kortsha-Ut Austin/ Futurity) — The link between weather and COVID-19 is complicated. Weather influences the environment in which the coronavirus must survive before infecting a new host. But it also influences human behavior, which moves the virus from one host to another.
“The effect of weather is low and other features such …
New recommendations outline who in Canada could get a COVID-19 vaccine first
(Ryan Flanagan/ CTV News) — Essential workers and others who face increased risks related to COVID-19 should be vaccinated against the disease before everyone else, according to new recommendations submitted to the federal government.
Although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that all Canadians will be able to get an …
Dr. Tam now recommends three-layer masks
(Christopher Reynolds/ The Canadian Press) — The country’s top doctor unveiled new recommendations Tuesday for non-medical masks, saying they should be made of at least three layers and stressing their importance as the country heads indoors for winter amid a surging COVID-19 case count.
Face masks should comprise two layers of tightly …
1st HIV self-test approved in Canada
(Canadian Press) — Federal regulators have approved the first HIV self-test in Canada, a long-awaited move that experts have said is critical to reaching people who don’t know they have the virus.
Health Canada granted a medical device licence on Monday to a one-minute, finger-prick blood test manufactured by Richmond, B.C.-based …
Scans show covid-19 patients experience wide variety of brain abnormalities
(Jack Dunhill/ IFL Science) — Covid-19 doesn’t seem to act like most other viruses. Since the pandemic began, an increasing number of strange neurological symptoms have appeared in Covid-19 patients alongside the typical flu-like symptoms, and doctors are striving to understand exactly what the virus does to the brain.
In a systematic …
Cough-scrutinizing AI shows promise as early-warning system for COVID-19
(Devin Coldewey/ Techcrunch) — Asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 is a huge contributor to the pandemic, but of course if there are no symptoms, how can anyone tell they should isolate or get a test? MIT research has found that hidden in the sound of coughs is a pattern that subtly, but reliably, marks a person as likely to be in the early stages …
What sleep docs want you to know about turning the clocks back
(Lauren Bedosky/ Everyday Health) — Before heading to bed on October 31, many North Americans will set their clocks back one hour to prepare for the end of daylight saving time (DST). In the states that change clocks (Arizona and Hawaii are the only U.S. states that do not), the time always gets set back an hour on the first Sunday in November, …
Pandemic complicates coping with eating disorders
(Lynn Desjardins/ Radio Canada International) — The COVID-19 pandemic has made life difficult in many ways but it poses several unique challenges for those battling eating disorders. Myriad restrictions and mixed messaging can make it hard for people to manage their recovery and access treatment, according to researchers at Western …
Incomplete vs. complete protein: what’s the difference?
(K. Aleisha Fetters/ Everyday Health) — Protein is protein, right? Well, what if that protein is complete — or incomplete?
To understand the difference between complete and incomplete proteins, you first need to get to know amino acids. These are the molecular building blocks that combine to form every gram of protein you eat. …