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Spike in COVID cases spurs deep dive into transmission sources – BarrieToday

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After a “substantial jump” in COVID-19 cases, the region’s medical officer of health undertook a deeper investigation into transmission sources for the 27 new cases reported since Tuesday. 

During what is supposed to be the downward slope of the first wave of COVID-19 infections, the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit logged the highest number of cases ever reported in a single day, with 25 today.

“I became aware of it late yesterday,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, Simcoe-Muskoka’s medical officer of health. “I had to understand what was happening … because you can only respond to something when you understand it.” 

The outcome of the investigation revealed several factors behind the increase in cases. 

Nine of the new cases are linked to an outbreak on a Simcoe County farm. There are two farm outbreaks at unnamed locations in the county.

There have been nine cases linked to the first farm outbreak and 15 cases linked to the second. Not all those who have tested positive for COVID-19 live in the Simcoe-Muskoka jurisdiction, so not all have been included in the total cases reported by the health unit. 

Gardner confirmed there is one temporary foreign worker living on the first farm in outbreak who has tested positive and nine temporary foreign workers have tested positive at the second farm. 

He said in all those cases, transmission happened locally and each of the workers had already completed a 14-day isolation before contracting COVID-19. 

“We have done a site assessment on both of those farms from an infection control perspective,” said Gardner. “Some sanitation issues were identified and managed.”

Gardner noted there is a “high vulnerability” for workers at a farm, particularly if they are living in bunkhouses on site. Because people are working and living together, there is more potential for the virus to spread. 

The health unit has ordered everyone working at the two farms in outbreak be tested for COVID-19. 

There has also been one more outbreak declared at Stayner Care Centre after a staff member tested positive at the long-term facility. All long-term care staff are now required to be tested once every two weeks. 

Outbreaks previously declared at Creeden Valley Care Community (Creemore) and Owen Hill Care Community (Barrie) have now been declared over. Owen Hill was previously out of outbreak when a staff member tested positive. There were no other positive tests since then. At Creeden Valley, one staff member tested positive. 

With the remainder of the cases considered “sporadic” or not linked to an outbreak, Gardner said it’s significant there were 11 people who tested positive but have no symptoms of COVID-19. 

“I wanted to understand why people got tested,” said Gardner. 

With case follow-up, Gardner and the health unit determined there were four people who were tested because they had contact with a known case, and four others who got tested because they wanted to visit a family member at a long-term care facility or retirement home. 

A negative test result is one of the province’s requirements for going to visit someone in a nursing or retirement home. 

Additionally, each of the people working at the farms in outbreak had to be tested regardless of symptoms. 

“The fact that we’ve got a large number that were asymptomatic due to requirements … was of note to me,” said Gardner. “It tells me something about the fact that we might expect more of such positive test results as a result of that kind of thing. It is bringing to the surface cases we wouldn’t have known about otherwise.”

It is possible some of the cases confirmed today, especially those people who have no symptoms of COVID-19, received false-positive results on their test. When the likelihood of the virus is low, such as in an asymptomatic person, the possibility of a false positive is increased. 

“We’re treating all tests as positives because that is the safest thing to do,” said Gardner. “You are never able to clearly determine, at the end of the day, that someone had a false positive.” 

Testing in the region increased by about three-fold when Premier Doug Ford announced anyone could get a COVID-19 test even without symptoms. 

Gardner said it’s stayed pretty steady over the past few weeks. The region’s per cent positivity statistics have gone down from about two to three per cent of all tests being positive to about 0.7 per cent of all tests done in the region being positive. 

“There’s a lot of testing happening in order to get that low of a per cent positivity result,” said Gardner. 

Since the province announced stage two of its reopening plan, it has made case and contact tracing a little more work for the health unit, but Gardner said he’s not willing to attribute the region’s spike in cases to the stage two reopening. 

“I think it’s a bit too soon to be able to say transmission of these cases would be related to moving to Stage 2,” said Gardner, noting it’s only been one week with fewer restrictions.

“We’ve noted it has complicated our investigations … we’ve had more contacts and more social environments outdoors than was the case before we moved into stage two.” 

Friday’s spike in cases is what prompted Gardner to host a media briefing. He said it was a good reminder to continue practising physical distancing, proper handwashing, and to wear a mask where physical distancing isn’t possible. 

“We need to not let our guard down, because clearly the potential for community transmission is there,” said Gardner. 

Of today’s 25 new cases, 10 were listed as community-acquired, nine were linked to outbreaks on the two farms, and the remainder were close contact or are still under investigation.

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What’s the greatest holiday gift: lips, hair, skin? Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

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Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting

Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.

In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.

“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.

There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.

Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.

Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.

In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.

 

Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.

Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Pediatric group says doctors should regularly screen kids for reading difficulties

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The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.

New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.

The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.

Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.

Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.

“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”

McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.

But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.

The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.

He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.

“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.

“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.

McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”

McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.

He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.

“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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