We have been in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic for almost a year now. We have learned to adapt and adopt new ways of living. Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, utilizing proper hand hygiene, and confinement have become part of our regular life.

With the first doses being administrated across the country, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has raised many questions around the world as well as here in Canada. Recently, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) has also been approved by Health Canada and more questions are emerging related to this other vaccine.

I got a phone call in late December that made me drop everything I was doing. It was from the hospital where I work: there were extra doses of the COVID-19 vaccine available that day.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us have been working from home. Many individuals dream of going back to the office… And it is not surprising.

Many of us are frustrated by having to adhere to the public health measures of hand-washing, avoiding indoor spaces as well as social gatherings, wearing a face mask and physical distancing.

COVID-19 has changed many things and insurance is certainly one of them. How will insurance adapt to the pandemic and post-COVID?

Canada is reopening and wearing a mask on public transit and in indoor public spaces has been made mandatory in some provinces.

Wearing a face mask is a public health measure that is likely to be helpful at this time of the pandemic. The decision to recommend its use by public health authorities was a difficult one. One of the biggest reasons was that educating the public on how to wear a face mask safely is challenging.

Summer is officially in full gear now and the warm weather is here! Isn’t it great? This time of year means backyard barbeques, long walks outside, swimming and picnics.

As provinces and territories reopen with their own guidelines, organizations are left with the incredible task of safeguarding the mental and physical health of their employees, clients, and members.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been part of our lives for many weeks now. With summer and warmer days coming up, and with reopening plans in many provinces and territories, we are tempted to go back to “normal”. As provincial governments are putting in place reopening plans, it is easy to forget that we are still going through a pandemic.

Remember back in early to mid-March when the reality of COVID-19 was sinking in? Before that point, we knew it was an issue of concern, but we did not think it was much to stress over.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented effort by scientists around the world to develop a vaccine. Vaccines are important to protect us where the risks of natural infection are significant.

In Canada, our efforts to flatten the curve are going well. Thankfully, we haven’t seen the same surge of cases that hit New York City, Italy, and Spain. Don’t get me wrong, those of us on the front lines here have seen a lot of cases, but so far, our health care system hasn’t been overwhelmed.

As COVID-19 forces us to stay home in order to protect each other, for some of us, the isolation may start to trigger anxiety or restlessness. Waking up in the morning can be a gloomy affair if you don’t have any plan for the day and can be stressful if you’re unsure of what to expect.

Should we wear a mask when we go out in public right now? That’s a question that many people have on their minds since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) issued a new recommendation that the public should wear masks when leaving their homes. Canada’s chief public health officer has also made this recommendation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking the lives of employers and employees across Canada. Many can no longer work, while others must adjust to work at home. This situation brings many challenges and adjustments, particularly regarding mental health.

As a physician, I cannot go anywhere these days without being asked about my opinion on COVID-19. It’s a unique situation: a new virus, that we have incomplete knowledge about, has the potential to spread significantly in Canada.