愛污传媒

Health

    • Experts have 'mixed emotions' to WHO announcement on COVID: here's why

    Share

    Infectious disease experts in Canada have mixed reactions to the World Health Organization declaring COVID no longer an emergency, saying the conversations around prevention and treatment of the disease are still necessary.

    The WHO made the declaration Friday, a statement health-care professionals widely anticipated.

    The recent news from the United Nations health agency represents a step toward ending the pandemic,

    The WHO's emergency committee first declared COVID-19 an emergency on Jan. 20, 2020. A statement at the time described it as a health threat, and prompted co-operation between nations.

    While Friday's announcement marks an end to more than three years of the designation, it "does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said at a news conference Friday.

    The WHO still considers COVID-19 to be in its pandemic phase, , which is still the case in many countries across the world.

    In Canada, some experts have said COVID is transitioning into the endemic stage,

    Experts in the health-care field anticipated the move from the WHO as cases across Canada and parts of the world decreased in the last year.

    "It's not entirely a surprise," Dr. Christopher Labos, epidemiologist and cardiologist, told 愛污传媒 Channel Friday. "I think most of us expected this was going to happen."

    In January, the WHO's emergency committee met to decide whether COVID should still be considered an emergency and, due to rising cases in some countries, ultimately kept the designation.

    Although this status has now changed, experts still believe a degree of caution is needed.

    "The question becomes: how do you still address the fact that it's still important? There is still a disease that is circulating. It is now, unfortunately, endemic -- a lot of people are getting sick, it's having a massive impact on the health of populations," Labos said. "So how do you make that sort of subtle nuance between the work: maybe not an emergency, but still important?"

    Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist, told 愛污传媒 Channel there are "mixed emotions" around the announcement, saying there is a rationale for lifting the emergency, but that he worries this could lead to a lack of action to prevent its resurgence.

    "I think it's a point to reflect鈥his has had a tremendous impact not just on health but, of course, (on the) mental health and well-being of so many people around the world," Bogoch said. "COVID is still here even though this is no longer a public health emergency of international concern. It's not going away. And we're going to be contending with waxing and waning virus for an indefinite period of time."

    Labos worries the different medical titles for COVID-19 could lead to some people believing the pandemic is over, potentially backtracking on some of the gains made during the last three years in regard to ventilation, vaccines and testing.

    "These are still issues that need to be addressed," he said. "And these are hard issues because it's expensive to upgrade infrastructure. and these discussions still need to happen."

    Bogoch echoed sentiments on continuing upgrades to infrastructure, adding those with underlying health conditions are still being disproportionately impacted.

    Another focus he said needs to continue is testing.

    "It's been very challenging because we have scaled back a lot of the testing that has been done," Bogoch said. "Data is very important, it's also important to contextualize the data and interpret it, and then have data-driven and sound responses."

    Meanwhile, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, offered her reaction to the WHO鈥檚 announcement in an interview with 愛污传媒 Channel on Friday.

    "I think today is an important milestone to mark on a global level where there's a transitioning from an emergency crisis to one of ongoing management of COVID-19, because this virus鈥攖he SARS-COV-2 virus鈥攊s here to stay in the human population for the foreseeable future," Tam said.

    Tam says although the virus is still circulating and mutating, the country has not seen over the past six to eight months "the big up-and-down waves" that it saw near the start of the pandemic.

    She adds hospitalizations, deaths and ICU admissions caused by COVID-19 are stabilizing in Canada.

    "We have to remain vigilant, this is still a significant challenge, particularly for those with high-risk medical conditions or who are seniors," she said.

    Tam went on to say Canada will continue to monitor COVID-19 and will prepare for the fall, as well as for any future vaccination recommendations. She says Canada needs to strengthen its health-care system, not only to combat COVID-19 but for any other possible health concerns that may arise.

    With files from 愛污传媒 Digital Writer/Producer Joey Chini and The Canadian Press 

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    Canada

    • A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    • Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    • A B.C. man who went missing nearly 15 years ago, while facing multiple sexual abuse allegations, has been declared dead by the court 鈥 which found he likely died when a fire engulfed the airplane hangar where he was last seen.

    • Montreal's mayor says a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a veil that adorns a lobby at city hall will be taken down in the name of secularism.

    • A major amusement park is part of Ontario's grand vision to turn the Niagara region into Las Vegas north, but Marineland may not fit the bill, the provincial tourism minister says.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.

    New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    • A B.C. man who went missing nearly 15 years ago, while facing multiple sexual abuse allegations, has been declared dead by the court 鈥 which found he likely died when a fire engulfed the airplane hangar where he was last seen.

    • A Coroner鈥檚 inquest has been scheduled to look into the circumstances around a man鈥檚 death during a confrontation with the RCMP in Whistler, B.C., more than four years ago.

    • New home sales in the Greater Toronto Area remained sluggish last month, but a new report suggests that the market is now primed for buyers following four consecutive interest rate cuts.

    • Peel Regional Police say investigators have arrested five suspects and seized dozens of guns and illegal devices used to convert firearms into automatic weapons.

    • RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.

    • Calgary鈥檚 Mission Bridge will be closed to motorists for several months as city crews complete rehabilitation work.

    • A Liberal member of Parliament says he's baffled by the Alberta United Conservative government's response to his private member's bill about pandemic preparedness.

    • Grief counsellors are at Perth and District Collegiate Institute in Perth, Ont. today, as family, friends and the community mourn the death of 15-year-old Reese Stanzel.

    • OC Transpo says it will be confirming the launch timeline for Ottawa's much-anticipated north-south line this week.

    • Suspended Ottawa lawyer James Bowie has been ordered to pay $235,000 in damages to a former client after he repeatedly suggested she pay for his legal services with oral sex and released personal details about her online after the allegations were reported by 愛污传媒 Ottawa.

    • A new study suggests Montrealers are going downtown less often with four in 10 saying they go less often than before the pandemic.

    • Montreal's mayor says a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a veil that adorns a lobby at city hall will be taken down in the name of secularism.

    • The National Director of Youth Protection, Catherine Lemay, resigned at the request of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, after institutional scandals.

    • Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    • A Bonnyville woman has been accused of trying to lure a boy and his friends to her hotel room.

    • Police are looking for help identifying an armed robber in a costume.

    • A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    • The Saint John Police Force is asking for the public鈥檚 help in locating a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with a shooting incident in the city over the weekend.

    • Halifax Regional Police is investigating two break-and-enters in parking garages early Sunday morning.

    • Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has honoured first responders for their actions following a fiery bus crash on the Trans-Canada Highway last year that killed 17 people.

    • Three youths were arrested after a senior was shot in the head with a BB gun early Monday morning.

    • Advocates say new data showing record food bank usage across Canada marks a somber milestone, while the Manitoba organization helping to feed those in need said they are being pushed to the brink by the unprecedented demand.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.

    • With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.

    • Election day has arrived in Saskatchewan. With it, the last wave of voters prepare to cast their ballots and decide who will form government in the province.

    • What role does ideology play in the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty to four charges in an attack at the University of Waterloo?

    • The Guelph Police Service is planning to dedicate more resources to ensuring public safety in the city鈥檚 downtown area as part of an ongoing initiative.

    • Police say just before 5 p.m. Friday, the suspects went to an address near Dawson Road and Shelldale Crescent and banged on the door.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.

    • With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.

    • A construction worker who was robbed, shot and left for dead last week remains in a Saskatoon hospital awaiting more surgeries.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Sudbury on Monday afternoon to make an infrastructure funding announcement at a wastewater facility.

    • A landlord in Sault Ste. Marie discriminated against a man who is deaf and has limited sight, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ruled.

    • Two people were busted in Nipissing First Nation trying to use fake money to buy machinery, Anishinabek Police Service says.

    • For eight decades 鈥 yes, eight decades 鈥 a London veteran has distributed poppies to Canadians. 87-year-old Sam Newman began distributing poppies as a boy.

    • The London Police Service has laid charges in connection to a downtown weapons investigation.

    • The closure between Florence Street and Hale Street is expected to end Friday afternoon. Detours are in place until the construction ends.

    • Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    • On Monday, the Ontario government revealed it had awarded a major contract to Miller/Brennan to manage construction of the western section of the Bradford Bypass in Simcoe County.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Windsor police officers are asking for the public鈥檚 help to identify two suspects related to the death of a 69-year-old man in south-central Windsor.

    • A man is facing several charges after a five-hour standoff with Windsor police over the weekend.

    • A worker has been injured at the NextStar Energy Plant in Windsor.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    • Police with the British Columbia Highway Patrol have arrested a 28-year-old man after 73 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found inside a vehicle near the resort city of Revelstoke.

    • A minor earthquake shook off the coast of B.C. Monday morning, which registered at a magnitude of 4.1, according to federal officials.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.

    • A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.

    • The Hurricanes will be happy to be back home in Lethbridge Saturday night after losing their third in a row on the road Friday night, a 4-1 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current.

    • One person has been charged after police in the Sault received a report of someone asleep at the wheel last weekend in a parking lot on Bay Street.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three people have been charged with arson following a fire at a Sioux Lookout apartment building Friday night.

    • Last week, tariffs surrounding Chinese steel and aluminum products went into effect and stakeholders in northern Ontario and abroad say it's good news.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒