In this November 1918 photo, a nurse tends to a patient in the influenza ward of the Walter Reed hospital in Bethesda, Md.
AP Photo/Harris & Ewing via Library of Congress
During the 1918 flu pandemic, white people died at similar rates to Black Americans, according to a new study – a very different pattern than what occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Masks are an easy and low-cost way to reduce the amount of virus entering the air and spreading to others.
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Family physicians are on the frontline of health care, and their observations and support can help us get through the upcoming winter season.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones in conversation at Queen’s Park, the day after Ontario’s chief medical officer of health ‘strongly recommended’ mask wearing.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
In 2020, with adult ICUs at risk of being overwhelmed, we wore masks and accepted restrictions. Now pediatric intensive care is at risk. Will leaders follow the evidence and tell us to mask up?
Pediatric emergency rooms in some states are at or over capacity due to the surging number of respiratory infections.
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Flu and COVID-19 are expected to make headway during the current respiratory virus season. The best way to stay healthy is vaccination in conjunction with personal protective measures.
Problems arise when there are too many unwarranted visits to GPs for cold symptoms. Occasionally, though, a cold might turn into something that needs specific diagnosis and treatment.
It is safe to get the newly formulated COVID-19 booster shot and the flu shot at the same time.
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If you’re over 65, you’ll likely get an immune-boosting flu shot. And there are options for those who don’t want a vaccine made with eggs – though the standard shots are safe for those with allergies.
Matthew Hobbs, University of Canterbury; Alex Kazemi, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Lukas Marek, University of Canterbury
The last time New Zealanders even had a flu season was in 2019. The flu, along with COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, is expected to hit hard this winter.
Ian Barr, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza
Flu vaccines will soon be available. And this year, you can get your COVID shot at the same time.
A woman wears a face mask as she walks by the sculpture ‘The Illuminated Crowd’ on a street in Montréal. Vulnerable people may benefit from measures like face masks even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Decreases in respiratory infections during the pandemic suggest there may be a continued role for the selective, non-mandated use of measures like masks and social distancing even post-COVID-19.
Given the small number of people that have been affected, the threat to the wider community is low.
Using fever reducers or drinking too much fluid while battling the flu may upset the body’s delicate balancing act.
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Not only have asthma attack rates decreased during the pandemic, evidence suggests people with asthma are not at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID.