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Alberta detects estimated 600 new variant cases of COVID-19

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Nearly 40 per cent of Alberta’s active cases are now variant cases as the province reported another 600 variant cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

With an estimated 600 new variant cases detected, 38 per cent of Alberta’s total active cases are variants of concern, according to Alberta Health. Just over two weeks ago, the variant cases represented only 11 per cent of the province’s active case count.

The update comes the day after the province reported a “significant” outbreak of the highly contagious P.1 variant which was first identified in Brazil. The spread of P.1 in the community is concerning because research suggests the strain is up to 2.5 times more transmissible than the currently dominant strain.

Alberta Health told Postmedia Saturday the outbreak involved a traveller who returned from out-of-country, but said Sunday they were no longer able to confirm that detail.

Alberta reported an estimated total of 950 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, which came from about 11,200 completed tests for a test positivity rate of approximately eight per cent.

According to Alberta Health, hospitalizations remain stable. When the number of hospitalizations was last updated on Thursday, there were 292 in hospital which included the 59 receiving care in intensive-care units.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, once again encouraged people to follow the public health measures in place on her Twitter account Sunday.

Following the COVID-19 public health restrictions is an act of kindness that protects you, your loved ones and your community,” Hinshaw said.

Alberta Health released only preliminary data on Sunday due to the long weekend.

“In the meantime, please continue to follow the health measures that are in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help protect those around you,” said Hinshaw on Twitter.

About 8,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered by the end of the day on Saturday. Alberta has given approximately 693,000 doses to date.

AHS’ online booking tool and Health Link’s phone line at 811 will open on Monday at 8 a.m. for those who were born in or before 1963 with an eligible underlying condition within Phase 2B of the province’s vaccine rollout. Additional birth years in Phase 2B will become eligible as more vaccines arrive.

To prepare for the influx of people looking to book their appointment, the online tool will be offline from 9 p.m. on Sunday to midnight, and between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Monday.

“We have made enhancements to the online booking tool to allow up to three additional family members who are eligible to receive their vaccine to book at the same time, and at the same clinic,” said AHS in a tweet on Sunday.

Phase 2B is the largest eligible group to date and represents about 650,000 Albertans. AHS encourages people to try later in the day if call volumes are high or the online tool struggles to load.

Phase 2B began at participating pharmacies in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer last week and the province started immunizing those with eligible underlying conditions such as cancer patients, transplant recipients, individuals with disabilities, dementia and other conditions that present higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.

Cases among seniors aged 80 and older have not seen the increase that other populations in Alberta have during this third wave of infections. Many in this age category received their COVID-19 vaccine in the early stages of the province’s immunization program, which has given them a defence against the virus.

Last week, however, there was a small increase in cases among those older than 80 and outbreaks were declared in several new continuing-care sites.

As of Thursday, provincewide there are 25 long-term care and supportive living sites with outbreaks.

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Canada to donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to combat mpox outbreaks in Africa

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The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.

It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.

Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”

Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.

Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.

On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.

Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”

But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”

“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.

Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.

Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.

Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.

“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.

“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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