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COVID-19 in B.C.: 50 percent of adults fully vaccinated; Vancouver Convention Centre care site closed; and more – The Georgia Straight

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Once again, Interior Health had the most new cases and the most active cases remain in Vancouver Coastal Health.

In B.C.’s vaccination program, 50 percent of all eligible adults have now received their second dose, with just under 50 percent for those 12 years and above.

In other news, a makeshift healthcare site created for the pandemic is being closed in Vancouver and B.C. researchers are studying the relationship between vaccines and drug users.   

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With hospitalized cases decreasing, the B.C. Health Ministry has approved Vancouver Coastal Health to proceed with dismantling the alternate care site established at the Vancouver Convention Centre in April 2020.

The site was one of several healthcare locations created to ensure that the province has enough healthcare capacity in the event of huge surges in patients during the pandemic, as had been previously observed in various regions around the world, such as Northern Italy.

Although the site was never used, the site had 271 beds and remained ready to be used up until July 2 of this year. The site is expected to be demobilized by Friday (July 16).

A plan, however, remains in place for remobilization of the site if required.  

The Vancouver Sun reported in May that VCH was paying $88,000 per month to lease the convention centre, which is owned by the B.C. government. In addition, it cost $1.5 million to outfit and stock the centre with beds and supplies.  

B.C.’s peak level of hospitalization occurred at the end of April with over 500 people in acute care units.

UBC researchers Brittany Barker and Hudson Reddon
UBC

As B.C. continues to experience two public health emergencies—the COVID-19 pandemic and the overdose crisis—UBC and the B.C. Centre on Substance Use researchers, partnering with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Vancouver Coastal Health, have launched a study that will examine the intersection of these two health crises.  

The study will examine the uptake, effectiveness, and safety of COVID-19 vaccines among vulnerable urban populations, including drug users.

“Since the pandemic was declared last March, we’ve seen an increase—both in B.C. and across the country—in the number of fatal drug poisonings,” UBC medicine postdoctoral research fellow Hudson Reddon stated. “In 2020 alone there were more than 6,200 toxic drug deaths in Canada, meaning nearly 17 Canadians are dying every day as a result of the toxic unregulated drug supply. 

UBC medicine postdoctoral fellow and BCCSU research scientist Brittany Barker explained what B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said at previous news conferences—that “an increasingly toxic and dangerous drug supply” has been circulating in B.C., that is “likely due to disrupted supply chains [caused by border closures] feeding the unregulated market”.

In addition, pandemic health restrictions have added to complications among people who are already facing multiple risks for acquiring COVID-19, including poverty, homelessness, group living situations, stigma, discrimination, other diseases like HIV, and more.

“People are also experiencing isolation, stress and grief, all of which can lead to increased substance use, using alone, and barriers to accessing care,” Barker stated. “Combined with the limited availability or accessibility of services during COVID-19 lockdowns, it’s easy to see how people who use drugs are more impacted by COVID-19 than other groups.”

The B.C. Health Ministry is reporting 41 new COVID-19 cases (including four epi-linked cases) in the province today.

Currently, there 639 active cases, which is the same number as yesterday.

The new and active cases include:

  • 16 new cases in Interior Health, with 157 total active cases (two more cases than yesterday);
  • 11 new cases in Fraser Health, with 165 total active cases (seven fewer cases than yesterday);
  • 10 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, with 258 total active cases (an increase of four more cases since yesterday);
  • two new cases in Northern Health, with 28 total active cases (one more case since yesterday);
  • one new case in Island Health, with 24 total active cases (a decrease of three cases since yesterday);
  • one new person from outside of Canada, with seven total active cases (one fewer case since yesterday).

Today, there are 65 individuals in hospital (one fewer case than yesterday), and 11 of those patients are in intensive care units (three fewer than yesterday).

For a sixth consecutive day, no new deaths have been reported. That leaves the total COVID-19-related fatalities during the pandemic at 1,760 people who have died during the pandemic.

A cumulative total of 145,817 people have now recovered, which includes 42 recoveries since yesterday.

During the pandemic, B.C. has recorded a cumulative total of 148,228 COVID-19 cases.

In the provincial immunization program, B.C. has now administered 5,872,611 doses of Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines.

As of today, 79.3 percent (3,674,169) of eligible people 12 and older have received their first dose and 47.3 percent (2,191,315) of them have received their second dose.

In addition, 80.3 percent (3,475,111) of all eligible adults have received their first dose and 50.5 percent (2,185,443) have now received their second dose.

Again, Fraser Health is offering new ways to obtain vaccinations.

Temporary immunization clinics will be held at Rocky Point Park (2800 Murray Street) in Port Moody from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (July 17) and at the Downtown Chilliwack Community Market (9360 Mill Street) in Chilliwack from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday (July 18).

Interior Health announced today that the COVID-19 immunization clinic in 100 Mile House has been cancelled due to the evacuation order issued today in response to the B.C. wildfires.

Although some patients have been evacuated to ensure continuity of care, the 100 Mile District General Hospital is not part of the evacuation orders and remains open for anyone who needs emergency care.

Today, Fraser Health declared the outbreak over at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, but did not state how many cases were involved or if there were any deaths.

For the first time in months, there is only one active healthcare outbreak:

  • acute care: Laurel Place at Surrey Memorial Hospital (Fraser Health);
  • longterm care: none;
  • assisted or independent living: none.

The outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital is Kamloops is no longer listed as active on the B.C. Health Ministry list but Interior Health has not yet issued a news release about it.

The BCCDC added the following four flights to its lists of public exposures (affected row information is listed at the BCCDC website):

  • July 7: Aeromexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver;
  • July 10: Air Canada 861, London to Vancouver;
  • July 11: Turkish Airlines 75, Istanbul to Vancouver;
  • July 12: Lufthansa 492, Frankfurt to Vancouver. 

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Kevin Neil Friesen Obituary 2024 – Crossings Funeral Care

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It is with heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of Kevin Neil Friesen age 53 on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at the Bethesda Regional Health Centre.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at the Bothwell Christian Fellowship Church, with viewing one hour prior to the service.

A longer notice to follow.  

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Spring allergies: Where is it worse in Canada? – CTV News

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The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities such as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Daniel Coates, director of Aerobiology Research Laboratories in Ottawa, expects the elevated amounts to continue next week for places, such as most of Ontario, if the temperature continues to rise. Aerobiology creates allergen forecasts based on data it collects from the air on various pollens and mould spores.

Pollens are fertilizing fine powder from certain plants such as trees, grass and weeds. They contain a protein that irritates allergy sufferers.

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Although pollen levels declined after a cold spell in some places, he said they are soaring again across parts of Canada.

“So the worst is definitely British Columbia right now, followed by Ontario and Quebec and then the Prairies and Atlantic Canada for the upcoming weeks,” said Coates in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “We are seeing pollen pretty much everywhere, including the Maritimes.”

He said pollen has increased over the past 20 years largely due to longer periods of warm weather in Canada.

Meanwhile, the Maritimes is one of the best places to live in Canada if you have seasonal allergies, in part because of its rocky territory, Coates said.

With high levels of cedar and birch pollen, British Columbia is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada, he added.

“British Columbia is going strong,” Coates explained, noting the allergy season started “very early” in the province in late January. “It has been going strong since late January, early February and it’s progressing with high levels of pollen, mostly cedar, but birch as well, and birch is highly allergenic.”

Causes of high pollen levels

Coates expects a longer allergy season if the warm weather persists. He notes pollen is increasing in Canada and worldwide, adding that in some cases the allergy season is starting earlier and lasting longer than 15 years ago.

He says tree pollen produced last year is now being released into the air because of warmer weather.

“Mother nature acts like a business,” he said. “So you have cyclical periods where things go up and down. … So when it cooled down a little bit, we saw (pollen) reduce in its levels, but now it’s going to start spiking.”

Along with warmer weather, another factor in higher pollen levels is people planting more male trees in urban areas because they don’t produce flowers and fruits and are less messy as a result, he said. But male trees produce pollen while female ones mostly do not.

Moulds

Coates said moulds aren’t as much of a problem.

“They’ve been mainly at lower levels so far this season,” he explained. “Moulds aren’t as bad in many areas of Canada, but they’re really, really bad in British Columbia.”

In B.C., moulds are worse because of its wet climate and many forested areas, he said.

Coping with allergies

Dr. Blossom Bitting, a naturopathic doctor and herbal medicine expert who works for St. Francis Herb Farm, says a healthy immune system is important to deal with seasonal allergies.

“More from a holistic point of view, we want to keep our immune system strong,” she said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca from Shediac, N.B. “Some would argue allergies are an overactive immune system.”

Bitting said ways to balance and strengthen the immune system include managing stress levels and getting seven to nine hours of restful sleep. “There is some research that shows that higher amounts of emotional stress can also contribute to how much your allergies react to the pollen triggers,” Bitting said.

Eating well by eating more whole foods and less processed foods along with exercising are also important, she added. She recommends foods high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids such as flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts and fish. Fermented foods with probiotics such as yogurt, kimchi and miso, rather than pasteurized ones, can keep the gut healthy, she added. Plant medicines or herbs such as astragalus, reishi mushrooms, stinging nettle and schisandra can help bodies adapt to stressors, help balance immune systems or stabilize allergic reactions, she said.

To cope with allergies, she recommends doing the following to reduce exposure to pollen:

  • Wear sunglasses to get less pollen into the eyes;
  • Wash outdoor clothes frequently, use outer layers for outside and remove them when you go inside the house;
  • Use air purifiers such as with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters;
  • Wash pets and children after they go outside;
  • Keep the window closed on days with high pollen counts.

Mariam Hanna, a pediatric allergist, clinical immunologist and associate professor with McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., says immunotherapy can help patients retrain their bodies by working with an allergist so they become more tolerant to pollens and have fewer symptoms.

“Some patients will need medications like over-the-counter antihistamines or speaking with their doctor about the right types of medications to help with symptom control,” she said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca.

Coates recommends people check pollen forecasts and decrease their exposure to pollen since no cure exists for allergies. “The best is knowing what’s in the air so that you can adjust your schedules, or whatever you’re doing, around the pollen levels.”

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Do you need a spring COVID-19 vaccine? Research backs extra round for high-risk groups

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Recent studies suggest staying up-to-date on COVID shots helps protect high-risk groups from severe illness

New guidelines suggest certain high-risk groups could benefit from having another dose of a COVID-19 vaccine this spring — and more frequent shots in general — while the broader population could be entering once-a-year territory, much like an annual flu shot.

Medical experts told CBC News that falling behind on the latest shots can come with health risks, particularly for individuals who are older or immunocompromised.

Even when the risk of infection starts to increase, the vaccines still do a really good job at decreasing risk of severe disease, said McMaster University researcher and immunologist Matthew Miller.

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Who needs another COVID shot?

Back in January, Canada’s national vaccine advisory body set the stage for another round of spring vaccinations. In a statement (new window), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) stated that starting in spring 2024, individuals at an increased risk of severe COVID may get an extra dose of the latest XBB.1.5-based vaccines, which better protect against circulating virus variants.

That means:

  • Adults aged 65 and up.
  • Adult residents of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors.
  • Anyone six months of age or older who is moderately to severely immunocompromised.

The various spring recommendations don’t focus on pregnancy, despite research (new window) showing clear links between a COVID infection while pregnant, and increased health risks. However, federal guidance does note that getting vaccinated during pregnancy can protect against serious outcomes.

Vaccinated people can also pass antibodies to their baby through the placenta and through breastmilk, that guidance states (new window).

What do the provinces now recommend?

Multiple provinces have started rolling out their own regional guidance based on those early recommendations — with a focus on allowing similar high-risk groups to get another round of vaccinations.

B.C. is set to announce guidance on spring COVID vaccines in early April, officials told CBC News, and those recommendations are expected to align with NACI’s guidance.

In Manitoba (new window), high-risk individuals are already eligible for another dose, provided it’s been at least three months since their latest COVID vaccine.

Meanwhile Ontario’s latest guidance (new window), released on March 21, stresses that high-risk individuals may get an extra dose during a vaccine campaign set to run between April and June. Eligibility will involve waiting six months after someone’s last dose or COVID infection.

Having a spring dose is particularly important for individuals at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 who did not receive a dose during the Fall 2023 program, the guidance notes.

And in Nova Scotia (new window), the spring campaign will run from March 25 to May 31, also allowing high-risk individuals to get another dose.

Specific eligibility criteria vary slightly from province-to-province, so Canadians should check with their primary care provider, pharmacist or local public health team for exact guidelines in each area.

WATCH: Age still best determines when to get next COVID vaccine dose, research suggests:

 

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Age still best determines when to get COVID vaccines, new research suggests

It’s been four years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and new research suggests your age may determine how often you should get a booster shot.

Why do the guidelines focus so much on age?

The rationale behind the latest spring guidelines, Miller said, is that someone’s age remains one of the greatest risk factors associated with severe COVID outcomes, including hospitalization, intensive care admission and death.

So that risk starts to shoot up at about 50, but really takes off in individuals over the age of 75, he noted.

Canadian data (new window) suggests the overwhelming majority of COVID deaths have been among older adults, with nearly 60 per cent of deaths among those aged 80 or older, and roughly 20 per cent among those aged 70 to 79.

People with compromised immune systems or serious medical conditions are also more vulnerable, Miller added.

Will people always need regular COVID shots?

While the general population may not require shots as frequently as higher-risk groups, Miller said it’s unlikely there will be recommendations any time soon to have a COVID shot less than once a year, given ongoing uncertainty about COVID’s trajectory.

Going forward, I suspect for pragmatic reasons, [COVID vaccinations] will dovetail with seasonal flu vaccine campaigns, just because it makes the implementation much more straightforward, Miller said.

And although we haven’t seen really strong seasonal trends with SARS-CoV-2 now, I suspect we’ll get to a place where it’s more seasonal than it has been.

In the meantime, the guidance around COVID shots remains simple at its core: Whenever you’re eligible to get another dose — whether that’s once or twice a year — you might as well do it.

What does research say?

One analysis, published in early March in the medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases (new window), studied more than 27,000 U.S. patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID, between September and December 2023.

The team found individuals who had an updated vaccine reduced their risk of severe illness by close to a third — and the difference was more noticeable in older and immunocompromised individuals.

Another American research team from Stanford University recently shared the results from a modelling simulation looking at the ideal frequency for COVID vaccines.

The study in Nature Communications (new window) suggests that for individuals aged 75 and up, having an annual COVID shot could reduce severe infections from an estimated 1,400 cases per 100,000 people to around 1,200 cases — while bumping to twice a year could cut those cases even further, down to 1,000.

For younger, healthier populations, however, the benefit of regular shots against severe illness was more modest.

The outcome wasn’t a surprise to Stanford researcher Dr. Nathan Lo, an infectious diseases specialist, since old age has consistently been a risk factor for severe COVID.

It’s almost the same pattern that’s been present the entire pandemic, he said. And I think that’s quite striking.

More frequent vaccination won’t prevent all serious infections, he added, or perhaps even a majority of those infections, which highlights the need for ongoing mitigation efforts.

Lauren Pelley (new window) · CBC News

 

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