The Dose

Colder weather and relaxed pandemic restrictions mean more people indoors. This week, we’re asking how ventilation and air filtration can reduce the spread of COVID-19?

As society reopens, everyone's comfort level with indoor socializing is different. Dr. Brian Goldman speaks with epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan about navigating safety and etiquette when it comes to indoor activities this fall.

Global leaders are trying to move forward on climate action at COP26 in Glasgow as the world reels from more and more extreme weather events. Canada has been hit by deadly floods, wildfires and heat domes. These seemingly insurmountable problems are making some people nervous enough to want to see a doctor. Dr. Brian Goldman speaks to registered counselling therapist Nancy Blair about the best way to deal with eco-anxiety.

Some experts fear this year's flu season will be severe - especially with the pandemic still raging in many parts of Canada. Dr. Brian Goldman speaks with Dr. Susy Hota, Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at University Health Network in Toronto, about the latest developments in flu vaccines.

For seniors, falls are the number one cause of ending up in hospital due to injuries. And about half of these hospitalizations result from a fall in the home. Dr. Brian Goldman talks to occupational therapist Marnie Courage about some simple tips to help reduce the risk of falling.

COVID vaccines are already approved in Canada for people aged 12 and older. Now, PfizerBioNTech says it plans to apply to Health Canada to authorize its vaccine in children aged five to eleven, as early as this week. So what do we know about kids and COVID vaccines?

The first experimental pill to fight the virus that causes COVID-19 is on the way, according to the drug company Merck & Co. We hear from Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, about the new drug, molnupiravir, and other COVID-19 treatments.

Some experts are calling for more rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 in Canada. But how accurate are rapid tests and when should you use them?

Viruses dampened by Covid-19 restrictions last year are coming back strong this fall. If you take a Covid test and it's negative, how can you figure out what virus you might have?

Canada's vaccine advisory body has recommended booster shots for certain immunocompromised individuals. But other countries such as Israel and the U.K are offering third doses to broader segments of their populations, despite concerns about ongoing inequities in global vaccine distribution. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch takes a close look at the issues.

Canadians aged 12 to 39 now have the lowest vaccination rates in the country. And with the majority of COVID-19 cases appearing in unvaccinated people, experts say it’s as important as ever to increase vaccination rates across Canada. So how can you use science to counter the misinformation behind vaccine refusal?

Delta has become the predominant strain of COVID across the country. Dr. Brian Goldman talks to Nazeem Muhajarine, professor of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, about what we need to do to avoid a lockdown this fall.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave "accelerated approval" this month to the first new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades. But there is controversy over the efficacy of the drug, as well as its cost and side effects. Saska Sivananthan, chief of research and knowledge translation for the Alzheimer Society of Canada, breaks down what we know so far about the drug.

The pandemic led to a drop in the rates of smoking and vaping tobacco. But while smoking rates continue to fall, vaping rates especially in teens are creeping up again. David Hammond, a professor of public health, outlines the risks and why we can't forget the 'old pandemic' of smoking.

More and more Canadians are getting their second dose of COVID vaccine. So what's safe for you to do if you're heading into a two dose summer? Can you travel? Hug your grandkids? Go to restaurants? Infectious diseases specialist Lynora Saxinger has the answers for what life can look if you're fully vaccinated.

Some Canadians may be looking at the reopening in the U.K. with some envy but not so fast, says U.K. epidemiologist Dr. Deepti Gurdasani. The delta variant, also known as B1617, first identified in India, is driving a new COVID wave in the U.K. — and it's spreading quickly around the world, including in Canada. Gurdasani has stark advice to Canadian officials: act now to contain this variant or a fourth wave is likely coming.

Surgery delays, addiction, a steep drop off in ER visits, all contributed to a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic beyond COVID deaths. Yet for some common conditions, the drop in ER visits had no impact on patient outcomes. What does this tell us? And how can we tackle the surgery backlog? Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, explains.

Feeling anxious about re-entering society when pandemic restrictions are lifted? Or maybe you're feeling exuberant? Steven Taylor, author "The Psychology of Pandemics", and a professor and clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry at UBC, walks us through the psychology of post-pandemic life — and why some people will experience lingering mental health side effects, while others will experience something called post-traumatic growth.

What's the difference between seeing a therapist and trusting a therapist? Dr. Hillary McBride and her clients want you to hear for yourself in Other People’s Problems. After working together for years, they want to demystify the long game when it comes to mental health and let us hear what years of therapy really sound like. More episodes are available at hyperurl.co/otherpeoplesproblems

Coronavirus is airborne, so what does that mean for how we fight COVID outbreaks? Michael Brauer, a professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, is calling for a shift in COVID prevention strategies. He says we need to focus more on ventilation and much less on disinfecting — particularly because cleaning products can be associated with some health conditions.

Catherine Hankins, the co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, explains why achieving herd immunity may be elusive, but stopping transmission with vaccines can lead to a similar return to some semblance of normalcy — and that should be the focus.

Surveys suggest cannabis use in Canada is up by as much as 35% in the pandemic. And cannabis sales doubled in this country last year. So what are the risks of cannabis use? And how can you minimize those risks? Neuroscientist Sarah Konefal, a research and policy analyst with Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, has the lowdown on the reducing the harms of getting high.

The risk of catching coronavirus outdoors is very low. Yet new pandemic restrictions in Ontario ban most outdoor sports and gatherings. Infectious diseases physician Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti joins Dr. Brian Goldman to debunk myths about outdoor transmission - and explain why being outside is so much safer than being inside, and what you can do to reduce your risk even further.

The COVID variant P1 is surging in BC and spreading east. Infectious diseases and critical care specialist Dr. Srinivas Murthy joins Dr. Brian Goldman to break down what you need to know about P1 - and what can be done to stop it, including restricting interprovincial travel.

Learning how to breathe better can have real impacts on your overall health, according to James Nestor, author of “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art”. He shares tips on how we can harness the power of our breath, even when we're wearing a mask, and feel better physically and mentally as a result.

This week we hand The Dose over to you. Canadians have been on a roller-coaster with changing guidance on the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, so we put your questions to infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla who, despite rising COVID-19 numbers and vaccine concerns, remains optimistic.

There's lot of confusing information around the COVID-19 vaccines. It's hard to figure out what's accurate and what's misinformation or deliberate disinformation. Infectious diseases expert Tara Moriarty joins host Dr. Brian Goldman to talk tips and hacks for spotting COVID vaccine misinformation.

The third wave of COVID is here in Ontario according to experts but epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan says there are steps governments and individuals can take to blunt its impact in Ontario -- or avoid the wave altogether in other regions of the country -- including closing schools.

Losing weight is frustratingly hard -- especially during a pandemic when studies show people have gained weight. Host Dr. Brian Goldman is joined by one of Canada’s leading experts on weight loss, Dr. Sean Wharton, who breaks down the best science around how to lose weight, as well as the connections between COVID-19 and obesity.

With kids in Canada mostly back in classrooms, more kids are testing positive for COVID-19. So how do you know if your kid has COVID? Infectious disease physician Dr. Janine McCready breaks down the symptoms, the best tests for kids, and how to lower the risk of your kid getting sick.

The pandemic is testing the limits of kids' resilience. But there are proven strategies that can help children cope, even if caregivers and parents feel they’re not coping so well themselves. Nancy Heath, a professor of educational and counselling psychology at McGill University in Montreal breaks down what parents should - and shouldn't - be doing to foster resilience.

With the COVID-19 variants spreading in Canada, infectious disease specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger joins Dr. Brian Goldman to break down the newest science around masks, with tips on which ones you should be wearing, how to fit them, and how to tell if your mask is working.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla breaks down everything you need to know about the five leading vaccines against COVID-19 and how they work - or don’t - against the variants of concern. And what it could all mean for your life and the future of the pandemic.

Stress changes your brain and has physical, mental and cognitive side effects. Many Canadians report drastically increased stress rates during the pandemic. Psychology professor Leslie Roos joins Dr. Brian Goldman to share proven, evidence based strategies for managing stress and feeling better.

Doctors say walking is one of the most meaningful things you can do to improve your health because it delivers a powerful range of physiological, cognitive and mental health benefits. So much so that Dr. Jane Thornton actually prescribes walking to her patients.

Infectious disease specialist and virologist Dr. Samira Mubareka says the presence of seemingly more infectious coronavirus variants in Canada is a public health emergency and existing public health rules around social distancing, masks, and hygiene may have to be tightened.

As kids' screen time soars during pandemic, experts say there could be serious long term physical, mental and emotional consequences - but treating tech like nutrition can help parents: consume healthy tech, limit junk tech, and eliminate the toxic.

Considering taking some time off from alcohol? Addictions specialist Dr. Peter Selby says booze breaks like "Dry January" are a good idea, especially in light of a new study showing Canadians are binge-drinking during the pandemic.

The largest immunization rollout in Canadian history has begun with the arrival of the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. This milestone raises many questions, from why different people get the first shots in different provinces to concerns about potential allergic reactions or adverse side effects when our turn finally comes. Plus, there's already a lot of misinformation out there. Dr. Caroline Quach, chair of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), answers these questions and gives us the science-based facts.

The longer we live with COVID-19, the more clear its toll on our mental health becomes. Now we're dealing with yet another emotional challenge: a holiday season unlike any other, when most Canadians are being asked to hunker down within our own households to prevent the spread of the virus. Plus, it's winter, when many people feel down even in "normal" times. There's hope for sure -- a COVID-19 vaccine is coming. Psychology professor Steve Joordens helps guide us through ways to stay emotionally well until we get there.

The stress of COVID-19 has left a lot of people lying awake at night. Before the pandemic, insomnia already affected a significant proportion of Canadians. Now the number of people suffering from lack of sleep has skyrocketed. But Célyne Bastien, a psychology professor specializing in insomnia at Laval University and president of the Canadian Sleep Society, says there are things we can do to help ourselves get the rest we so badly need.

Across Canada there is a patchwork of inconsistent conclusions on whether or not schools are contributing to the exponential spread of COVID-19, leaving many parents and teachers confused. Amy Greer, Canada Research Chair in Population Disease Modelling, joins The Dose host Dr. Brian Goldman to provide some clear, science-based answers.

There are now two COVID-19 vaccine candidates that look very promising. Late-stage clinical trials suggest they may be more than 90 per cent effective. The Canadian government has signed deals with both manufacturers, so if they’re approved by Health Canada, experts say they should be available to us sometime next year. But a new vaccine naturally raises lots of questions, from its safety profile to who will get it first in a country of more than 37 million people. Dr. Jeff Kwong, interim director of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto, gives us some answers.

COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Canada -- and so does the sense of urgency felt by health-care providers and public health officials. It’s become clear to many that at this point, the only way to stop the virus from choking the health-care system is to bring in tough restrictions to reduce contact between people. Physicians in Alberta recommend a short, sharp lockdown -- known as a “circuit breaker” -- to slow the pandemic surge. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger returns to The Dose to explain what that means.

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario and Quebec have consistently had the highest number of infections in the country. But now, Canada’s unexpected COVID-19 hotspot is Manitoba. After seeming to successfully keep the virus at bay during the first wave, things have taken a disastrous turn for the worse. Health-care workers have called on the Manitoba government to take urgent action, saying the pandemic has spiralled out of control in the province. Jason Kindrachuk, a Canada Research Chair in emerging and re-emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, explains what's happening and the lessons we can all learn as we grapple with this phase of the pandemic.

There’s been a lot of talk about gyms lately. A COVID-19 outbreak that infected dozens of people was recently tracked back to a fitness studio in Hamilton, Ont., even though the operators had taken precautions. At the same time, several gym owners in COVID hot spots argue that not all fitness facilities pose the same risk. Plus, we know exercise is key to physical and mental health during these stressful times. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla explains how we can reduce our risk and stay well.

COVID-19 has turned every aspect of our lives upside down. Right now, there’s a burning question on the minds of countless kids and parents across the country: Is Halloween still happening? Public health guidelines vary depending on where you live and have sparked a lot of discussion on social media. Pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Caroline Quach helps us make sense of this tricky issue.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials say getting a flu shot is more important than ever this year. The flu and COVID are different diseases caused by different viruses, so why does it matter? Just in time for flu season, infectious disease specialist Dr. Danuta Skowronski joins us on The Dose to explain -- and to set the record straight on some common misconceptions.

We’re heading into Thanksgiving weekend in the midst of a resurgence of COVID-19 in Canada. Many of us are craving a gathering with the people we love, but we’re also in a critical phase of this pandemic -- and the decisions we make about gathering with others now have big consequences. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger talks us through the risks and offers her insight on how we can flatten the curve in time for the holidays.

Although the majority of people recently infected with COVID-19 have been younger adults, the virus has already made its way back into long-term care and retirement homes, with about 100 active outbreaks and counting across Canada. Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network in Toronto, returns to The Dose with guidance on how we can use what we've learned about COVID-19 to keep our elderly loved ones safe while cases continue to rise outside the walls of long-term care homes.