Public service return to work thrown into doubt by Omicron variant

Federal government departments are rethinking plans to send thousands of public servants back to the office as the new Omicron variant tightens its grip. The Treasury...

Dentists see pandemic stress in patients with more grinding, cracked, broken teeth

VICTORIA — Stress and anxiety connected to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is revealing itself in people’s mouths, say dentists who report increasing cases of patients with...

The ‘runner’s high’ may result from molecules called cannabinoids – the body’s own version of THC and CBD

Many people have experienced reductions in stress, pain and anxiety and sometimes even euphoria after exercise. What’s behind this so-called “runner’s high”? New research on the...

Face masks, digital screens and winter weather are a triple threat for dry eyes

How do your eyes feel right now? Whether you’re sitting at home or in the office, you’re likely reading this on a digital device, and your...

How effective are vaccines against omicron? An epidemiologist answers 6 questions

The pandemic has brought many tricky terms and ideas from epidemiology into everyone’s lives. Two particularly complicated concepts are vaccine efficacy and effectiveness. These are not...

A CDC panel recommends mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over J&J’s, citing fewer risks

Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are more effective and cause fewer serious side effects, new data show  An advisory committee for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...

In 2021, COVID-19 vaccines were put to the test. Here’s what we learned

Although the shots proved effective, they can’t single-handedly end the pandemic 2021 was the year the COVID-19 vaccines had to prove their mettle. We started the...

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Omicron might evade antibodies – but that doesn’t mean you don’t have immunity

With the highly mutated omicron variant spreading rapidly, people want to know if immunity from vaccination or a prior infection will be enough to protect them...

Rapid tests play a crucial role in curbing COVID-19 infections – especially as people gather for the holidays

As winter begins and the holidays are in full swing, the COVID-19 pandemic has entered another worrying phase. Emergence of the omicron variant, along with increasing...