Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.
Long after recovery from COVID-19, people face significantly higher risks for new heart problems, a large study has found.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs compared rates of new cardiovascular problems in 153,760 individuals infected with the coronavirus before vaccines were available, 5.6 million people who did not catch the virus, and another 5.9 million people whose data was collected before the pandemic.
An average of one year after their recovery from the acute phase of the infection, the COVID-19 survivors had a 63 per cent higher risk for heart attack, a 69 per cent higher risk for problematic irregular heart rhythm, a 52 per cent higher risk of stroke, a 72 per cent higher risk of heart failure, and a nearly three times higher risk of a potentially fatal blood clot in the lungs compared with the other two groups, according to a report published on .
The elevated risks among former COVID-19 patients were evident in young and old, Blacks and whites, males and females, people with and without diabetes and with and without kidney disease, as well as smokers and nonsmokers, said Ziyad Al-Aly of the VA St. Louis Health Care System and Washington University in St. Louis.
The risks were high even in people who had mild COVID-19 and did not need to be hospitalized for it, he . "It really spared no one," Al-Aly told Reuters. "People with COVID-19 should pay attention to their health and seek medical care if they experience symptoms like chest pain, chest pressure, palpitation, swelling in the legs, etc."
COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA technology do not produce any extra short-term side effects in cancer patients, a new study suggests.
Researchers surveyed 1,753 recipients of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, about two-thirds of whom had a history of cancer and about 12 per cent of whom were receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery for their disease. More than 90 per cent of the cancers involved solid tumours.
The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to work well in such cases. People with and without cancer reported similar rates of pain at the injection site, muscle pain, joint pain, fever, chills, headache, nausea, and fatigue, the research team reported in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Overall, post-vaccination symptoms were reported by roughly 73 per cent of patients regardless of whether they had cancer, with pain at the injection site being the most common adverse event.
Earlier studies have found vaccine hesitancy among cancer patients, the researchers noted. The harms of COVID-19 are "compounded for patients with cancer who have refused vaccination," they said. "Our data, in combination with those from other sources, show that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is well tolerated by patients with a history of cancer, including those receiving active treatment."
The Omicron variant's method of infecting cells is different from the mechanism most often used by earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants, which could help explain Omicron's milder symptom profile, a .
Earlier variants use the ACE2 protein on cell surfaces and an enzyme called TMPRSS2 to fuse themselves to the cell membrane and inject their genetic material inside. Omicron prefers to enter cells by creating tiny sacs in the cell membrane called endosomes that cells use to transport materials internally, researchers found.
Omicron still attaches itself to ACE2 proteins, but it does not need help from TMPRSS2. In fact, Omicron multiplies most readily in tissues where TMPRSS2 is scarce, such as the nose. In the lungs, where TMPRSS2 is plentiful, Omicron has spread less effectively and caused less damage than earlier variants.
The findings help explain "why the disease is less severe and causes less pneumonia" with Omicron, said Dr. Ravindra Gupta of the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases in the UK. Gupta also noted that drugs targeting TMPRSS2, such as camostat mesylate, a pancreatitis treatment that has shown some benefit in COVID-19 patients, may be less useful with Omicron.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid and Christine Soares; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.
Toy giant Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets an error on the packaging of its 'Wicked' movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Business groups are raising concerns about the broad effects of another round of labour disruptions in the transport sector as Canada faces shutdowns at its two biggest ports.
A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.