Health
Increased use of social media takes mental health toll on teens
The almost uninterrupted use of social media has led to body issues, low self-esteem and mental health issues for teenagers, according to a recent study. Social media is a highlight reel, where users share usually flattering videos and photos.
FDA panel endorses Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine booster for people 65 and older, high-risk patients
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Friday endorsed emergency approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for people ages 65 years and older and those at high risk of severe COVID-19.
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Friday
News/World: The British government announced a major simplification of its rules for international travel on Friday, heeding complaints from travellers and businesses that its regulations aimed at staving off the spread of COVID-19 were cumbersome and ineffective.
FDA panel is first key test for Biden COVID-19 booster plan
News/World: The Biden administration's plan to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans faced its first major hurdle Friday as a government advisory panel met to decide whether to endorse extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Life and death: What critical-care triage could mean in Alberta ICUs
News/Canada/Edmonton: Alberta's critical care triage protocol details how life-and-death decisions would be made if ICUs run out of beds and staff amid the surge of COVID-19 cases. The triage protocol has never been enacted, but health-care workers are now being briefed on the plans in preparation for the worst.
Why vaccine passports may be an important tool in boosting vaccination rates
News/Health: Provinces across Canada are introducing vaccine passports, allowing those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in some indoor recreational activities. But apart from that, what do the passports accomplish, and how effective are they? CBC News spoke to some experts.
CDC study finds childhood obesity increased at ‘substantial and alarming’ levels during COVID pandemic
Child obesity levels in the U.S. increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among children who were already obese from the outset, according to the findings of a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These charts show how much more often unvaccinated Albertans are being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19
News/Canada/Calgary: Recent rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death among unvaccinated Albertans have been at least eight times higher — and as much as 60 times higher — compared to the fully vaccinated population, depending on which age range you look at.
Canada must 'learn from' the pandemic crisis in parts of the West, Tam says
News/Politics: Canada's chief public health officer says other provinces need to learn from the poor pandemic example being set by Alberta and Saskatchewan if they want to avoid the crisis now afflicting health services in those provinces.
Several studies support COVID-19 vaccine boosters as FDA remains neutral ahead of Friday vote
Several studies published Wednesday supporting potential use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine booster shot amid waning immunity met a neutral tone from the Food and Drug Administration, per documents posted ahead of a critical meeting Friday.
Parents seek out COVID-19 vaccine trials for their children ahead of official authorization
Rachael DiFransico’s 14-month-old daughter Sybil chewed on a plastic toy at a doctor’s office in the Cleveland suburbs while waiting one recent day to enroll in a study testing whether a Covid-19 vaccine works safely in children.
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday
News/World: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would have to spend "a few days" in self-isolation after dozens of people in his entourage fell ill with COVID-19, the TASS news agency reported.
COVID-19 during pregnancy means 10 times higher risk of ICU admission, Canadian data suggests
News/Health: Canadian data suggests people who are pregnant face significantly higher risks of serious COVID-19 requiring hospitalization, ICU admission, or life support — a particular concern because pregnant people tend to have lower rates of vaccination.
