COVID-19 leaves lessons to learn, Trudeau says amid rapid test controversy – National

Canada needs to learn from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says amid controversy surrounding government rapid test purchases. Trudeau faced questions stemming from a Global News investigation that found a rapid test importer landed an estimated $2 billion in federal contracts in 2021 and 2022, despite giving regulators incomplete data … Read more

COVID test supplier received billions in pandemic contracts after submitting edited results – National

A rapid test importer landed an estimated $2 billion in federal contracts in 2021 and 2022, despite giving regulators incomplete data about its product’s accuracy, Global News has found. A year-long investigation into federal procurement revealed that BTNX, a small rapid test supplier based outside Toronto, deleted dozens of specimens, or samples, from a study … Read more

JN.1 is now a COVID-19 variant of interest, WHO says – National

Descrease article font size Increase article font size The World Health Organization has classified the COVID-19 variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest from the parent lineage BA.2.86 due to its rapidly increasing spread. The WHO made the announcement Tuesday, saying that based on current evidence, the global health risk posed by JN.1 remains … Read more

What’s The Deal With That Cough Everyone Seems To Have Right Now?

’Tis the season of respiratory illnesses. As we spend more time indoors and gather with friends and family to celebrate the holidays, cases of flu, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are steadily increasing around the country. There’s also been an uptick in anecdotal reports of a brutal, long-lasting cough going around. As one TikTok … Read more

COVID, the flu and RSV. Navigating the holiday season amidst a wave of illnesses – National

As the holiday season gets underway, the joy of gatherings with family and friends intertwines with the challenges of cold and flu season and rising COVID-19 cases in some provinces, prompting warnings from health experts for Canadians to remain vigilant. Across Canada, the percentage of weekly positive COVID-19 tests was 18.2 per cent as of … Read more

Coronavirus: China tests 2M people in Beijing

BEIJING — A fresh outbreak in Beijing has prompted authorities to test millions and impose new measures two weeks ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics, even as Chinese officials on Monday lifted a monthlong lockdown on the northern city of Xi’an and its 13 million residents. Despite falling case numbers, pandemic controls have … Read more

Indigenous inmates testing positive for COVID-19 at higher rates in federal prisons – National

Indigenous federal inmates are infected with COVID-19 at disproportionately high rates. Correctional Service Canada said Wednesday that as of Jan. 10, there are 207 active COVID-19 cases among inmates in federal penitentiaries. Of those cases, 39 are among inmates who identify as Indigenous, which makes up almost 19 per cent of the overall caseload. … Read more