February 2, 2021 Epidemiology First case of South African variant confirmed in Ontario’s Peel Region. Person had no history of travel. Dominance by more vaccine-resistant virus helped in part by slow vaccine rollout, incomplete public health measures and virus response to same.
February 1, 2021 Health Policy Vaccine/Variant Whack-a-Mole: Concerns raised that slow vaccine rollout, combined with incomplete strategies to prevent infection and spread can lead to a greater risk of further coronavirus mutations and reduced vaccine efficacy.
January 29, 2021 Epidemiology The variant is to model outcome predictions as Asimov’s Foundation series’ Mule was in Hari Seldon’s Psychohistory projections. Extracting six doses per vial instead of five is like Jean Luc Picard being told there are five lights when there are four.
January 26, 2021 Geriatrics Vaccine shortage has led to Ontario’s plan to delay health care provider’s second dose for some and redirect them to long-term care residents so that by Feb. 5 all will have had at least one dose.
January 22, 2021 Epidemiology Ontario’s provincial case rate has started to decline for the first time since November. Ontario’s Associate Medical Officer of Health says it is still too early to determine if this represents a true trend.
January 21, 2021 Clinical Research Israeli real-world Pfizer vaccine study reports infection rates dropped by 33% in treatment group of 200K people >60 y.o vs 200K controls after 21 days, less than predicted by proponents of delaying 2nd dose. Stay on schedule until proven otherwise.
January 19, 2021 Health Policy Too many assumptions and unknowns about about post-infection immunity duration combined with circulating and more virulent strain makes it risky to not vaccinate people who have had COVID-19.
January 15, 2021 Epidemiology Understandable frustration expressed by Ontario MPP citing selective evidence to end lockdowns and ‘go back to normal life’. The outcome of his ‘exit strategy’ is what happened in Sweden. Instead, do what other successful countries have done.
January 12, 2021 Health Policy Should you wear a mask while you are outside? Infectious disease and public health specialists have outlined some guidelines.
January 6, 2021 Health Policy Pregnant or breastfeeding women should have access to COVID vaccines. Especially if they work in a high-risk environment or have underlying health conditions that further increase their risk of complications if they become infected with the virus.
