We’re small, we’re rural, we’re old and we’re spread out.
We lack a major metropolitan centre, large-scale public transit and international airline connections.
These are all traits that have been cited at one time or another as holding New Brunswick back. But they may be a blessing when it comes to COVID-19.
“Luck is a big part of it,” said Dr. Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa.
Raywat Deonandan, a global-health epidemiologist and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, says the luck of location plays into how well New Brunswick has handled COVID-19. (Supplied/Raywat Deonandan)
“You’re lucky in your location, you’re lucky in your population density, you’re lucky in your population distribution, and you’re lucky that your major city is not an international travel hub.”
If the numbers over the past two weeks hold, New Brunswick — a province that rarely wins at anything — is poised to reach the pandemic-containment podium.
New daily cases peaked at 15 on March 29. By the second week of April, there were more recovered patients than people still sick with the virus. And there hasn’t been a new case reported since April 17.
As of Sunday’s update, only seven New Brunswick cases were listed as active. Only Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have lower rates of cases per capita.
Colin Furness, a professor and expert in public health information at the University of Toronto, said the province’s success is clear, but it’s not due to demographics alone.
Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, says demographics alone would not have been enough. (University of Toronto)
“It really is good luck, good planning, good execution,” he said. “The measures taken by the government to do social distancing were the right measures.”
Here’s a look at several of the factors that seem to have contributed to New Brunswick emerging relatively unscathed from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lack of urban density
Dr. Jennifer Russell says a jurisdiction’s density can be an influence. (Government of New Brunswick)
New Brunswick was never going to be the ideal breeding ground for the coronavirus. The province is more rural than most and lacks a single large metropolis.
Population density in Moncton and Saint John hover around 1,000 people per square kilometre. Compare that to Montreal, where it’s 2,700 people. In Wuhan, China, and Milan, Italy, it’s more than 7,000.
“Jurisdictions that have higher density, it can influence it for sure,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical officer of health “I don’t have a specific ability to quantify that but it definitely does have an effect.”
COVID-19 needs “pretty intimate contact” to spread, Furness said. “People need to be close together.”
There’s an emerging consensus from researchers that the longer and closer someone is exposed to COVID-19, the greater chance they’ll catch it and the worse the symptoms may be.
That’s more likely in large centres where there are lots of apartment buildings with thousands of residents each, and busy public transit systems full of commuters jammed together.
“The population density is not amenable to rapid spread in New Brunswick,” Deonandan said. “So you got lucky in that sense.”
No major air hub
The Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport reported 680,000 passengers in 2018, a small number compared with big cities such as Montreal and New York. (Marielle Guimond/Radio-Canada)
Connected to the lack of dense metropolitan centres is the absence of a major international airport.
“You’re not getting as many travellers coming from high-risk parts of the world,” Deonandan said.
New Brunswick’s three largest cities have jockeyed for years to persuade airlines to add more routes, with some success.
But the numbers are still tiny.
The Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport reported 680,000 passengers in 2018. Trudeau International Airport in Montreal had 19.4 million and JFK in New York City had 61 million.
“When you see the worst cases, it’s almost always close to where they have a lot of travel,” Furness said.
A minister with foresight
In February, Education Minister Dominic Cardy sent an internal memo to senior government officials sounding the alarm that COVID-19 was on its way. (Photo: CBC News)
One possible turning point in New Brunswick’s containment effort was Feb. 24, when Education Minister Dominic Cardy sent an internal memo to senior government officials sounding the alarm that COVID-19 was on its way, if it wasn’t already here.
“This is not a question of if, but when,” Cardy wrote. “The extent of the damage and disruption cannot yet be predicted, but it will occur.”
With footnotes, appendices and hyperlinks, “memo” isn’t quite the right word for the 19-page document, which was obtained by CBC News. It reads more like a university term paper.
Cardy’s own department was already laying the groundwork for the closure of schools, but he went further in the memo, sketching what each level of government was responsible for, how each provincial department might respond, and which laws applied.
Many measures he suggested were later adopted by the Blaine Higgs government, including a special cabinet committee including the leaders of New Brunswick’s three opposition parties.
“All governments will struggle to maintain legitimacy and confidence in the face of the pandemic,” Cardy wrote. “Sharing a plan to address COVID-19, being honest about the risks and realistic in terms of a response, is essential.”
Cardy “put us on a learning curve which gave us a tremendous advantage,” Health Minister Ted Flemming said in an interview. “Some of us might have been a little sceptical at the start. … He really was the spearhead. He was the leader on it.”
An early move in schools
New Brunswick first closed schools on March 13. (François Gagnon/Radio-Canada)
Cardy’s next move, controversial at the time but prescient in retrospect, was to ban any student who’d been on a March break trip outside Canada from returning to school.
“That was extremely wise, extremely prudent,” Furness said. “Children mixing in schools is a really potent way for infections to spread.”
Deonandan agreed: “The elephant in the room is kids in schools, because kids get their hands in everything.”
Furness said he can “guarantee” some children came back from the break carrying COVID-19 but not showing symptoms. If they’d gone to school, the virus might have spread to classmates, and then to more vulnerable adults, in large numbers.
“That obviously didn’t happen, so you got away with it,” he said. “Our success is predicated on things that don’t happen. We can never know. But I think your education minister is to be congratulated.”
Jumping on the early cases
There have only been 10 cases of confirmed community transmission so far. (CBC)
The first trickle of cases into the province, which began showing up March 11, was small enough and manageable enough that public health measures were able to keep them under control.
“It definitely was helped by the fact that we had measures in place very early on around informing people that they had to self-isolate when coming from outside the country, and then … when they came from outside the province,” Russell said.
The first batch of New Brunswick cases were people who had travelled to France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean and on cruise ships.
Testing those people and getting them to self-isolate, and then quickly tracing any contracts they had, was key, as was the closure of schools and businesses and the banning of mass gatherings, Russell said.
“This all had an effect on being able to contain those early travel-related cases for sure, because it limited the number of contacts that each person had.”
The result is only 10 community transmission cases until now.
No nursing home outbreaks
Nursing homes such as Tabusintac Nursing Home have yet to be hit by the coronavirus in New Brunswick. (Tabusintac Nursing Home/Facebook)
That in turn reduced the chances of someone with COVID-19 unwittingly bringing the virus into a nursing home or special-care home full of seniors.
One employee of a Shannex nursing home in Quispamsis tested positive for the virus in early April, but there has been no major outbreak.
Compare that to neighbouring provinces: as of Sunday, 249 of Nova Scotia’s 873 cases were residents or employees of Northwood, a long-term care facility in Halifax. Of the province’s 24 deaths, 18 have been Northwood residents.
In Quebec, more than 20 per cent of all COVID-19 cases, and a staggering 80 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths, have been in seniors residences.
Tony Weeks, CEO of York Care Centre in Fredericton, said his facility decided early on to stay ahead of the virus, ensuring that employees working in multiple residences limited themselves to only one to reduce the chance of spread.
“We haven’t waited for a first case to show up,” Weeks said. “We’ve planned as if that first case was here.”
Vulnerable seniors are also spread out — and engaged
Seniors such as Lucy Jarratt of Bathurst have been able to stay out of harms way. (Melynda Jarratt/Facebook)
New Brunswick has the second-oldest population in Canada, and seniors are the most susceptible to serious and even fatal cases of COVID-19.
Yet other characteristics of that greying demographic mitigated the risk, the experts say.
The densest areas of the province are also the youngest. The places that skew oldest also happen to be more rural and more spread out from each other. Except in nursing and special-care homes, seniors tend to be farther away from each other.
“That’s a protective effect,” Deonandan said.
And Furness said older people are also paying the closest attention to coverage of the pandemic. They’re engaged and informed.
“I get the smartest questions and the most careful, mindful questions from older people, questions like ‘How do I handle my mail?'” he said. “People who are thinking that way aren’t going to get sick. With age comes wisdom, and wisdom is a very potent protector.”
Choosing to comply
Deonandan said it’s important that people have followed the government’s rules. (NIAID-RML via Reuters)
Another obvious factor is that New Brunswickers have not defied recommendations on handwashing, physical distancing and other ways to avoid risk.
“People did have choices that they could make,” Russell said. “The higher number of people in the population that makes wise choices … the better off we all are. It only takes a few people to impact the population as a whole.”
“There’s something to be said for the compliant population that followed orders and stayed home when they were supposed to stay home,” Deonandan said. “You can’t underestimate the power of that.”
Pure luck
Caul’s Funeral Home says it was contacted by the department of health and told that a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 attended two funerals between March 15 and March 17. (Google Maps)
And then there’s the intangible factor: dumb luck.
In St. John’s, one person with the virus but no symptoms visited Caul’s Funeral Home in mid-March and became the so-called “index case” for at least 176 people who had contracted COVID-19 by April 8.
That’s more than two-thirds of the province’s 258 cases to date. Without that one index case, Newfoundland and Labrador’s case numbers would be lower than here.
“New Brunswick didn’t get unlucky by getting a whole bunch of virus [at] a super-spreading event, where one person attended an event and infected 30 others,” Deodandan said. “You didn’t get that kind of early boost to the virus that makes it so hard to control.”
The next phase
Chief medical officer Dr. Jennifer Russell said the province will now move to gradually reopen society. (CBC)
Russell said the next phase, a gradual reopening of the economy and society, will shed even more light on what works and what doesn’t.
She has said that there could be a cycle of loosening and then reimposing restrictions if the virus flares up. Some of the factors that kept numbers down could reduce the risk of new outbreaks as measures are lifted.
“It will be very interesting to see how all of those things contribute to the numbers moving forward and what kind of resurgence we might see,” she says.
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.
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.
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.
