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Cathy Farrow

@cathyfarrow.bsky.social
2K followers 1.2K following 10K posts

Interests: Gerontology, Global Health, Science, COVID. I love cats. I block the ‘f’ and ‘c’ words. Located in the Central Okanagan area of B.C. Canada.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Cathy Farrow
Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Policy on health is clearly broken - politicized, out of touch, reactive and slow. My recent keynote at the Canadian Biosafety Symposium took a big-picture look at how and why that's happening, and how we can turn things around. Here's a general-audience version, recorded at the Deep River library.
youtube.com
Inquiring Minds 03: Mark Ungrin - Science, Pseudoscience and Public Policy
YouTube video by Deep River Public Library
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André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 5h
When Anesthesia Goes Wrong. A teenage boy went into surgery for a broken arm and emerged with brain damage. His mother was determined to figure out what had happened, by @sarahzhang.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202... via @theatlantic.com
theatlantic.com
When Anesthesia Goes Wrong
A teenage boy went into surgery for a broken arm and emerged with brain damage. His mother was determined to figure out what had happened.
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Iris Gorfinkel, M.D. @drgorfinkel.bsky.social · 5h
HOW💉Novavax, Pfzier & Moderna COMPARE: 🧐All 3 are about equally effective ⬇️ER & urgent care visits by 50% ⬇️Hosptlztns by 53-55% 🧐Novavax has fewer & less severe short-term side effects than Pfizer & Moderna 🧐Novavax protection likely lasts longer jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
Interim Estimated Effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccines in Adults
This case-control study estimates vaccine effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines among adults with COVID-19–associated emergency department or urgent care encounters and COVID-19–associated hosp...
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
Is there a way to prioritize who comes up in my feed on Bluesky?
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Winnipeg Free Press @winnipegfreepress.com · 5h
OTTAWA – The Conservative MP tasked with leading his party’s efforts to convince Albertans to stay in Canada says he is concerned by reports of separatists going to Washington and offering up fresh water and oil in exchange for American support.
winnipegfreepress.com
Tory MP says report of Republicans working with Alberta separatists is 'concerning'
OTTAWA – The Conservative MP tasked with leading his party’s efforts to convince Albertans to stay in Canada says he is concerned by reports of separatists going to Washington and offering up fresh water and oil in exchange for American support.
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Spicy Scorpio🪶🧡🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🇪🇺 @nish57.bsky.social · 7h
Hate motivated crimes are on the rise and so is reporting‼️ youtube.com/shorts/XLKxY...
youtube.com
2 men accused in hate-motivated assault involving porta-potty
YouTube video by CBC News Alberta
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Canada Healthwatch 🍁 @canadahealthwatch.ca · 7h
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection. By Tim Lister, Svitlana Vlasova, Lex Harvey, and Anna Chernova. This article and more at canadahealthwatch.ca
canadahealthwatch.ca
Canada Healthwatch | Health News, Policy & Analysis
Canada’s independent briefing on health policy, science, and systems change.
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Julz 🦋 🇨🇦🇱🇷🚨 @julzsaveusa.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
☝️
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darren32359.bsky.social @darren32359.bsky.social · 10h
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5h
Women suffer more pain than men across the whole body, major global study finds
theguardian.com
Women suffer more pain than men across the whole body, major global study finds
Researchers looked at pain around the world and across the human lifespan, finding steepest rise happens before age 55 Women report suffering more pain than men, a major new global study has found. That was true for all types of pain the researchers measured, and comes amid continuing concern about the gender pain gap, which means women are less likely to be prescribed the pain relief they need. Continue reading...
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
cbc.ca
Why are young men struggling so much? | CBC News
The federal government launched a nationwide consultation earlier this year to try and determine why boys and men’s health is suffering. Data they reported on shows a country of young men self-reporti...
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
globalnews.ca/news/1207748...
globalnews.ca
GLP-1, ADHD medication costs leading surge in drug insurance claims: report - National | Globalnews.ca
Overall drug costs in Canada rose 9.5 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, a new report by private insurance company GreenShield said.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
unep.org
Rotting food is supercharging the climate crisis. Here’s what to do about that.
Ending the food waste epidemic is both a food security imperative and a climate necessity, because rotting food produces the powerful greenhouse gas methane.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/w...
nytimes.com
How Congo’s Ebola Epidemic Got So Bad So Quickly
What happened in Mangala, where residents were left with little outside support, helps explain how this outbreak became the worst seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.msf.org/msf-staff-te...
msf.org
MSF staff tests positive for Ebola disease and medically evacuated | MSF
MSF confirms that one of our staff members who had been working on the Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for Bundibugyo virus disease.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
apnews.com/article/cong...
apnews.com
An Ebola treatment center was burned down as the death toll in Congo passes 4,000
Congo's Ebola outbreak has resulted in over 4,000 deaths, with authorities struggling to contain the virus.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.aa.com.tr/en/health/gl...
aa.com.tr
Global life expectancy nears pre-pandemic level, but healthy years lag behind: WHO
Healthy life loss linked to anxiety disorders up nearly 45% since 2019, while depressive disorders see around 20% jump, says UN agency | Anadolu
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
abcnews.com/Health/fda-f...
abcnews.com
FDA finds potential source of cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce
The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it has found a potential source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that was tied to lettuce over the summer.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
Shortages of crucial HIV medicines due to aid cuts are a ‘warning’, say experts
More than half of organisations providing HIV care surveyed by International Planned Parenthood Federation said they had run out of stock at some point during past 12 months
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 5h
www.sciencealert.com/scientists-f...
sciencealert.com
Scientists Find a Surprising Link Between Cats And Happiness Across 93 Countries
If you're looking for a boost of household happiness, then you might want to consider getting yourself a cat.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 6h
www.nsnews.com/local-news/w...
nsnews.com
Woman drove wrong way on West Vancouver highway over 2 km before head-on collision that killed two, trial hears
The crash caused the deaths of two international students, injured two more
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 6h
www.cnn.com/2026/10/03/h...
cnn.com
The kratom-related drugs found near the late Ole Miss students, explained | CNN
The kratom-related products found in the late Ole Miss students’ rooms contain the semisynthetic compounds MGM-15, 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 6h
Why heart attacks in women are often missed in Canadian emergency rooms www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
ctvnews.ca
Why heart attacks in women are often missed in Canadian emergency rooms
For years, the way doctors diagnose heart attacks has largely relied on research and testing standards developed using data that came mostly from men.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 6h
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
ctvnews.ca
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection
Dozens of people were reported to be in isolation after a Russian laboratory worker at an institute dedicated to studying the plague and other infectious diseases died of an undisclosed illness.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 7h
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
'Heartbreaking reality': Crew, passengers of downed medical transport jet are likely dead, company says | CBC News
The decision by the U.S. Coast Guard to end the search for the crew and passengers of a medical transport jet out of Hamilton, Ont., means it's time to accept that the four Canadians and two Bermudian...
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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 8h
Sum: Nah. Do nasal strips enhance athletic performance? We asked an expert in sports medicine www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/h... ⚠️ Good example of the power of the online influencers AND the placebo effect! Soon: on CTV Edmonton.
cnn.com
Do nasal strips enhance athletic performance? We asked an expert in sports medicine | CNN
Four-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz says wearing nasal strips during matches helps with his recovery between points. Since nasal strips are commonly used to ease snoring and improve sleep, CN...
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André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 8h
Trillium CEO says $1-billion fundraising goal isn’t what keeps her up at night — overcrowded ERs are. CEO Karli Farrow says redesigning care — not just new buildings — is key to easing ER overcrowding, by Megan Ogilvie www.thestar.com/news/gta/tri... via @thestar.com
thestar.com
Trillium CEO says $1-billion fundraising goal isn’t what keeps her up at night — overcrowded ERs are
As Trillium launches its “Built for Us” campaign, CEO Karli Farrow says redesigning care — not just new buildings — is key to easing ER overcrowding.
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Mary Fernando M.D. 🇨🇦 @maryfernando.bsky.social · 11h
While it’s still unclear what’s happening because of the tight control over what information is released, can we move on from the plague part of the programme and go to straight to pestilence? www.euronews.com/2026/10/04/h...
euronews.com
Has plague returned to Siberia? Panic after lab worker's death
A female staff member at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region who died amid rumours of a "black death" outbreak was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown origin". Rospotrebnadzor insists that...
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 8h
These 3 strategies unite classrooms so that everyone learns together.
edutopia.org
How to Differentiate Without Splitting Students Up
Advice for teachers who want to make sure everyone in their classroom works and learns in tandem.
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Cathy Farrow @cathyfarrow.bsky.social · 8h
Is this for real?
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Humor Satire Memes @funnysnarkyjoke.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
screenshot of a social media thread in dark mode.

    Top post by user jrj5926 (16h): "My daughter is a healthcare professional. It is mandatory for her to take the flu shot. 😡 make it make sense"

    Reply by user titanjibk (13h): "Wait until you find out firefighters are forced to wear flame-retardant gear and pilots are forced to stay awake. It's an absolute outrage."
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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 9h
“The Epic data also showed that rates of shingles are rising among people 35 and over, who are more likely to have had the chickenpox infection as children.There’s no clear evidence for what’s causing the rise in this group” www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
nbcnews.com
Shingles cases dropping among people who got chickenpox vaccine, data shows
The virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate during adulthood, causing the painful, itchy rash known as shingles.
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 15h
I will never understand how a convicted felon was allowed to become President but prisoners can’t vote.
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Castanet.net @castanet.net · 8h
Former Prince Andrew files a legal action to quash warrants that led to searches of his residence #England
castanet.net
Former Prince Andrew files a legal action to quash warrants that led to searches of his residence - World News
The former Prince Andrew has filed a legal action challenging the warrants that authorized searches at two of his homes earlier this year as British police investigated allegations related to his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 12h
NHS England waiting list hits 7.33m appointments for 6.21m individuals, rises for the third time in 4 months. Privatisation by stealth. NHS capacity neglected. Thousands suffer. Private sector profiteers. www.oecd.org/en/publicati... Hospital beds per 1,000 population, Comparison 2013 and 2023.
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 14h
Gentle reminder to check your ableism when talking about Christa Pike. Disabled people can see you talking about how you hope she’s brain damaged and has to suffer a “fate worse than death”. We’re fighting eugenicist regimes who believe we’re “better off dead”. Don’t feed that narrative.
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🇨🇦 👊🇨🇦 @sorry-iamcanadian.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Canadians own over $60B in real estate (over 500,000) homes in Florida. This proposed move would be an excellent way to collapse your housing market. Sell! Sell! Sell! Get out while you can…
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 19h
Canada: "New data shows spike in COVID-19, cold symptoms as flu season arrives" - COVID-19 positivity: 3.8% - Influenza positivity: 3.7% - RSV positivity: 0.2% - Among 52 laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral outbreaks, 67.31% were associated with COVID-19 - Data through Sept. 26, 2026
A screenshot of an online article from the CP24 news website, featuring their white logo on a black background at the top. The bold main headline reads, "New data shows spike in COVID-19, cold symptoms as flu season arrives." The article is written by Christl Dabu and was published on October 02, 2026.
Below the text, a photograph captures a woman with long dark hair sitting at a cafe table, coughing or sneezing into her inner elbow. She is wearing a pink blazer over a green top, sitting in front of a white laptop and a ceramic mug. The background shows a softly blurred bakery counter with shelves and bottled drinks. The caption below notes that federal government data found an increase in COVID-19, influenza, cough, and fever cases as of late September 2026.
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Unapologetic Lee 🇨🇦 @ogcanada.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
When you only reach out because you are missing our money, you'll never convince us to return. ca.news.yahoo.com/u-mayors-ask... @mayorjacobfrey.bsky.social @mayor.nyc.gov @governor.ca.gov @kaine.senate.gov @amyklobuchar.com @welch.senate.gov @govpritzker.illinois.gov @shaheen.senate.gov #cdnpoli
ca.news.yahoo.com
U.S. mayors ask Canadians to reconsider U.S. travel boycott
Some American mayors are trying to encourage Canadians to reconsider boycotting travel across the border.
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Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁 @minibubbly.bsky.social · 8h
N.B. farmers set out to create the world’s longest gourd tunnel #NewBrunswick www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/vid...
ctvnews.ca
N.B. farmers set out to create the world’s longest gourd tunnel
New Brunswick is home to no shortage of landmarks that hold unique titles, and newest to the list is the world's longest gourd tunnel.
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Mark Gerretsen @markgerretsen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Today, we remember the First Nations, Inuit and Métis women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people who have been taken from their families and communities. We honour their lives and stand with their families, Survivors and communities who continue to seek justice, healing and safety. 🧡
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Every Bite Counts @sandybeach805.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Some good news. Today, retired US Navy Captains and former NASA Astronauts Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly are being inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 14h
England's water infrastructure at breaking point. Large part of water network installed 130-150 years ago. Thames Water infrastructure has average age of 79 years; industry average 56 yrs. 40% of TW assets are 100+ yrs old. Must end privatisation, remove profit motive.
standard.co.uk
MP says London water network is 'at breaking point' with two incidents in a week
London MP Paul Kohler said the two incidents highlighted the poor state of the region's water infrastructure
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Kaitlin Kal Lee @kaitlinkallee.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Why are rapists innocent until proven guilty, but victims are liars until proven otherwise?-
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 22h
"The hidden harms of medical gaslighting" Fibromyalgia, Long COVID, endometriosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and autoimmune disorders put patients at higher risk of “medical gaslighting,” where genuine clinical concerns are dismissed or invalidated without proper medical evaluation.
 A screenshot of an online article from the American Psychological Association website. The large bold headline reads, "The hidden harms of medical gaslighting," with the subheading, "Researchers are leading efforts to better support patients with difficult-to-diagnose conditions." The piece is by Heather Stringer, dated October 1, 2026, and is tagged with three blue oval buttons: "Health Care," "Health Equity," and "Chronic Illness." Below the text, a photograph shows a Black woman with braids looking highly distressed and overwhelmed while talking on a smartphone. She has her eyes closed tightly and her left hand pressed against her forehead in frustration.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 15h
Overcrowding in UK A&E depts and treating patients in corridors linked to hundreds of deaths. Neoliberals urge cuts in public spending, silence on human consequences. Delayed care leads to premature deaths People sacrificed to gods of fiscal policies.
news.sky.com
Overcrowding in A&E linked to 'hundreds of deaths a week', study finds
A review of more than 19,000 adult patients found that for every 10% increase in emergency department occupancy, the chance of dying in the following 28 days increased by 1%.
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Kaitlin Kal Lee @kaitlinkallee.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Simply caring about victims can change everything.
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Bill Comeau 🇨🇦 @bill-comeau.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
More on US food safety: Three (red) states have passed legislation to limit lawsuits against companies for failure to warn about health risks. Another six (red) states are proposing similar bills. See the problem? We need to take steps to protect Canadians from pesticide-friendly red state exports.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 23h
What an idiot.
reuters.com
Musk says he will rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI
Donald Trump has been pushing the term "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence."
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darren32359.bsky.social @darren32359.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
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