Canada - Coronavirus COVID-19 #3

[musicaljoke]

While we are all focused on the covid situation, it's easy to miss other vaccines that come up. In Ontario, the Shingles vaccine is now available for everyone between the ages of 65 to 70.

If you miss the opportunity, you can get it later, but you may have to pay for it. I think that DH and I paid about $160 each a couple of years ago when there wasn't a free vaccine offered.

Get the free shingles vaccine

 

[musicaljoke]

I’m going to correct myself here, ergo quoting my own post.

There are some Shoppers Pharmacies who are taking walk ins for COVID shots in Toronto and surrounding area.

One had a two hour lineup and another had no waiting.

So, it’s the same as before, get on the phone til you find what suits you.

Bah humbug!

Was there any wait time on the phone? Do you remember when the phone lines were first established and you could get the message that there were 112,000 people in the queue ahead of you?

I see that parents can get appointments for their kid's vaccines now.

 

[JDG]

Was there any wait time on the phone? Do you remember when the phone lines were first established and you could get the message that there were 112,000 people in the queue ahead of you?

I see that parents can get appointments for their kid's vaccines now.

No, I don’t recall when phone lines were first established!

I’m not THAT old….LOL

Not sure what you are asking.

The two hour line up is in person, for a shot.

 

[musicaljoke]

No, I don’t recall when phone lines were first established!

I’m not THAT old….LOL

Not sure what you are asking.

The two hour line up is in person, for a shot.

Hehe! I mean back in April-May when people were asked to call in to the provincial public health line to make an appointment.

Thousands of Ontarians book vaccine appointments within hours of expanded eligibility

 

[musicaljoke]

More than 68,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments were booked by 10 a.m. Tuesday for Ontario kids aged five to 11.

A spokeswoman for Premier Doug Ford shared the figure on Twitter.

Families could book vaccine appointments for kids in that age group starting this morning at 8 a.m., though some parents said the provincial booking portal opened slightly earlier.

 

[tarabull]

Alberta reports COVID-related death of one-year-old child | Canoe.Com

 

[LadyL]

What trouble are you having?

it just kept circling back to the first page - there was no pdf to download

 

[musicaljoke]

Pardon the source, but this article has some decent information on Health Canada's recommendation for better quality masks. I wonder if the change has anything to do with the new variants that are starting to spread.

Canada's mask guidance has changed. Here's why you might need an upgrade

COVID-19 mask use: Advice for community settings - Canada.ca


"In general, while non-medical masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, medical masks and respirators provide better protection," the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said on its COVID-19 mask information webpage, which was updated on Nov. 12.

The updated guidance also recommends medical masks or respirators for people "who are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19" and those "at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 because of their living situation."

Respirators (such as N-95 and KN-95 masks) are considered the highest level of mask protection and were previously recommended only for health-care workers coming into direct contact with infectious patients. In those high-risk areas, respirators require a "fit test."

Responding to a CBC News inquiry about why PHAC's recommendations have changed, the agency said in an email it was "based on the latest scientific evidence on SARS-CoV-2 virus variants of concern, increased understanding of the impacts of vaccination and immunity in the population, and new data available on mask types and their effectiveness."

In addition to the updated online guidance, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, recently posted a series of tweets illustrating how COVID-19 could spread through the air, using the analogy of second-hand smoke.

Many doctors, scientists and engineers say this shift in messaging reflects a growing body of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 is largely spread through aerosols (tiny particles that can hang in the air), and not just through respiratory droplets (larger particles) transmitted by close contact with an infected person.

In turn, that means it's important to re-evaluate the masks we're using, they say.

"This marks a transition in Canada toward a recognition of how important aerosol, airborne-based transmission is in transmission of this virus," said Dr. Brooks Fallis, a critical care physician at the Toronto-area William Osler Health System.

more at link

 

[musicaljoke]

it just kept circling back to the first page - there was no pdf to download

Odd. Did you finally get it to work? I found that I wasn't able to download the POV, but had to print it directly from the site. But, I'm not sure that's what you mean. I hope that it worked for you.

It looks like Canada is getting a national POV certificate, so pretty soon we will have to get a new one to replace the provincial one.

 

[otto]

Here we go again - another mutation of concern.

"Researchers are racing to determine whether a fast-spreading variant in South Africa poses a threat to COVID vaccines’ effectiveness.

Researchers in South Africa are racing to track the concerning rise of a new variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The variant harbours a large number of mutations found in other variants, including Delta, and it seems to be spreading quickly across South Africa.
...

“There’s a lot we don’t understand about this variant,” Richard Lessells, an infectious disease physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, said at a press briefing organized by South Africa’s health department on 25 November. “The mutation profile gives us concern, but now we need to do the work to understand the significance of this variant and what it means for the response to the pandemic.”
...

Researchers spotted B.1.1.529 in genome-sequencing data from Botswana. The variant stood out because it contains more than 30 changes to the spike protein — the SARS-CoV-2 protein that recognizes host cells and is the main target of the body’s immune responses. Many of the changes have been found in variants such as Delta and Alpha and are linked to heightened infectivity and the ability to evade infection-blocking antibodies.
​

Heavily mutated coronavirus variant puts scientists on alert

 

[JDG]

Britain has stopped travel to large areas of Africa due to the variants. IIRC, six African countries are off limits.

 

[otto]

Another article about the new variant.

"A new coronavirus variant has been detected in South Africa that scientists say is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, the country's most populous province.

South Africa has seen a dramatic rise in new infections this week, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said Thursday during an online briefing, adding that the new variant appears to be driving the spike in cases.

"Over the last four or five days, there has been more of an exponential rise," he said.

Scientists in South Africa are working to determine what percentage of the new cases have been caused by the new variant, currently identified as B.1.1.529.

It has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong in travellers from South Africa, Phaahla said."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-nov25-2021-1.6261977

 

[casesensitive]

I hope Canada acts quickly to ban incoming air flights from these African regions. Surely the government has learned a lesson in how their initial slow response in banning flights from hot spots contributed to spreading the virus. I think Canada was one of the last countries to "get the memo" about restrictions from hot spots happening in many countries. Good for England taking immediate action. Let's see how long it will take Canada to follow suit.

South Africa to be put on red list amid new Covid variant scare

 

[JDG]

Although the cases are up, S. African officials say that hospitalizations have not been affected by the new variant.

It could be more contagious and less deadly; some viruses weaken but mutate before extinguishing themselves.

 

[otto]

My understanding is that case numbers are low, South Africa is sounding the alarm early, and therefore there is no confirmed evidence of increased hospitalizations or vaccine resistance. That will be studied. I'm guessing we should know within the week whether vaccinated people are protected from this new variant. If it is given a new greek letter, like Delta, it's more dangerous.

What we know is that once there is a new variant, it is usually spread around the world before it is detected. I have a friend in Germany who vacationed in South Africa last week. People want to resume normal life, they assume the virus will remain unchanged, and they become the first international spreaders.

"Researchers in South Africa conducting genetic analysis of COVID-19 virus cases determined that a new variant, B.1.1.529, had been found in cases in South Africa, Botswana, and a traveler who had traveled from South Africa to Hong Kong, the country’s health minister announced on Nov. 25. The following day, Belgian health officials reported the first case of the new variant discovered in Europe.
...

The changes make the protein look different enough from the original that scientists are worried about whether existing vaccines can still protect against disease. Researchers will now be rushing to determine how easily the new variant spreads, and whether it can indeed escape vaccine protection.
...

But large numbers of people around the world still aren’t vaccinated, either because they can’t access doses, or are hesitant to get immunized. That contributes to a steady stream of new infections, which provide the virus new opportunities to mutate ...

In the U.S., among the first priorities for researchers will be getting more details about the molecular features of the virus that will allow them to develop a test to start looking for the variant in this country, as well as challenge the variant in the lab with antibodies made by vaccinated people or those who recovered from COVID-19 to determine if those antibodies continue to neutralize the virus."
​

New COVID-19 Variant “Huge International Concern” Just Before Heavy Holiday Travel Season

 

[JDG]

According to the Daily Mail, the new variant is named ‘Nu’.

According to the South African Medical Association the illness is affecting young people, is mild and the ‘panic’ is a ‘storm in a teacup’.

If I could make a link, I would but it’s the top story on DailyMail dot uk.

 

[otto]

Many countries are acting fast in an attempt to prevent the new strain from circulating in their populations.

"A slew of countries moved to stop air travel from southern Africa Friday in reaction to news of a new, potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant.

"The last thing we need is to bring in a new variant that will cause even more problems," said German Health Minister Jens Spahn, amid a massive spike in cases in the 27-member European Union.
....

The U.K. announced it was banning flights from South Africa and five other southern African countries effective noon on Friday, and that anyone who had recently arrived from those countries would be asked to take a coronavirus test.

Germany said its flight ban could be enacted as soon as Friday night. Spahn said airlines coming back from South Africa will only be able to transport German citizens home, and travellers will need to go into quarantine for 14 days whether they are vaccinated or not.
...

Italy's Health Ministry also announced measures to ban entry to anyone who has been in seven southern African countries — South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini — in the past 14 days because of the new variant. The Netherlands is planning similar measures.

The Japanese government announced that from Friday, Japanese nationals travelling from Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho will have to quarantine at government-dedicated accommodation for 10 days and take a COVID test on Day 3, Day 6 and Day 10. Japan has not yet opened up to foreign nationals.
​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-nov26-2021-1.6263453

 

[JDG]

^^^ Passengers at Heathrow, coming from South Africa, are not being tested not detained but are mixing with people from around the world.

This make me think they already know that it is a mild illness.

But, the Netherlands have refused to let passengers from South Africa deplane.

 

[otto]

Canada needs to act fast, and should also be concerned about people from infected regions entering via another country.

"Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is urging the federal government to ban all non-essential travel to and from southern Africa to stop a new — and possibly more infectious — COVID-19 variant from taking hold in Canada.

Countries around the world already have restricted travel from some areas of the African continent in an effort to keep the newly identified coronavirus variant from crossing their borders.

While many questions remain about how transmissible or virulent this new variant is, the U.K. Health Security Agency warned Friday that the new strain found in southern Africa is the "most complex" and the "most worrying we've seen."

Britain, Israel and Singapore, among others, have restricted travel from South Africa and some neighbouring countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is proposing member states pull the "emergency brake" on travel from some countries in Africa to limit the spread of the variant.​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/southern-africa-variant-canada-travel-1.6263898

 

[JDG]

Otto, it’s too late to prevent the variant, as you stated earlier people have returned to travelling, as if COVID was over.

The virus has already seeded throughout the world and is airborne.

I know that in Toronto, a great many of our cases are school children and unvaccinated adults. Most of the inpatients are unvaccinated with some elderly vaccinated people having bad luck with breakthrough cases. Most are 80+.