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Sharon

@sjasharon.bsky.social
1.3K followers 4.7K following 186 posts

Toronto covid conscious

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Reposted by Sharon
Isaac Callan @isaaccallan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A coalition of Ontario health-care workers gathered in downtown Toronto on Tuesday to denounce the provincial government’s plan to remove bike lanes on three major roadways across the city. #ToPoli #OnPoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Ontario health-care coalition denounces province's plan to remove bike lanes across Toronto | CBC News
A coalition of Ontario health-care workers gathered in downtown Toronto on Tuesday to denounce the provincial government’s plan to remove bike lanes on three major roadways across the city.
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Canada Healthwatch 🍁 @canadahealthwatch.ca · 29/09/2026
Wait times for most priority surgeries in Ontario have increased since 2017, Eleanor Yuneun Park reports. Find out more at canadahealthwatch.ca #CdnHealth.#WaitTimes
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CCPA — Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives @policyalternatives.ca · 29/09/2026
A new report by @policyalternatives.ca says Ontario's outsourcing of some medical treatments to private clinics has not reduced wait times. @alonghurst.bsky.social #onpoli www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ont...
ctvnews.ca
Ontario private clinics haven't cut wait times: report
A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says Ontario's outsourcing of some medical treatments to private clinics has not reduced wait times.
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Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
For context, here is the accurate warning provided to PHAC in February 2020, that COVID must be treated as airborne, that medical masks are not adequate protection, and those potentially exposed to someone infected with COVID must be provided with respirators as a minimum level of protection.
The full text of this letter begins on page 88 of the PDF file that may be found at this address: https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati/reference/021309ea72da406c5cdd2a6fa3a38c14The full text of this letter begins on page 88 of the PDF file that may be found at this address: https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati/reference/021309ea72da406c5cdd2a6fa3a38c14The full text of this letter begins on page 88 of the PDF file that may be found at this address: https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati/reference/021309ea72da406c5cdd2a6fa3a38c14The full text of this letter begins on page 88 of the PDF file that may be found at this address: https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati/reference/021309ea72da406c5cdd2a6fa3a38c14
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Billy Hanlon @bhanlon15.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
MPR: 'Long COVID affects many Minnesotans years after the pandemic' 'And we want to hear from you, too.' Coming up at 9AM on Wednesday, 9/30/26 www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
mprnews.org
Long COVID affects many Minnesotans years after the pandemic
It’s been six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many Minnesotans are still suffering its aftermath. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the extre...
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🇨🇦Ian - #RLessThanOne @simpson-ian.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The maddening part. If this was to happen again today with another disease outbreak, they would do and say all of the same things.
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🇨🇦Joe Vipond🇨🇦 @jvipondmd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
REcommendation: AB’s health + OHS must adopt the precautionary principle when responding to new respiratory illnesses. It should require employers to provide the strongest possible safeguards for employee health until there is greater certainty about the transmission of a new respiratory virus.
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Avi Lewis @avilewis.ca · 28/09/2026
Rising residential school denialism and anti-Indigenous racism have created an environment where white supremacists feel emboldened to target and intimidate First Nations in their communities. It’s disgusting and completely unacceptable.
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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 28/09/2026
We've also pulled all three stories on this out from behind the paywall.
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LET'S AIR @nousaerons.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In the grand auditorium of Maison de la Radio, Paris - France, ventilation is provided via vents located beneath each seat, delivering fresh air directly to the audience (yellow arrows). This is a well-known solution that ensures excellent indoor air renewal and comfort and reducing health risks.
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Kristin Meekes @kmeekes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Yeah and this is really the thing right here about this stuff: we need systemic solutions but masks are something we could all do right now (even just in like, healthcare and other really obvious spots!) to massively improve things for ourselves and others around us. Wish others saw it that way 😞
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Iris Gorfinkel, M.D. @drgorfinkel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
These 4 rules not only help MINIMIZE DELAYS ...but also ⬇️ EXPOSURE TIME ✈️ Take the 1st flight of the day ✈️ Fly nonstop ✈️ Avoid tight connections ✈️ Stay informed w/ the airline's app P.s. Always 😷 at the airport. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/t...
nytimes.com
The 7 New Rules for Air Travel
Flight delays and cancellations brought on by weather, technology glitches and other issues offer a lesson: Be prepared and be flexible.
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Colin Furness MISt PhD MPH @furnesscolin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I order it online from the UK. It's not cheap, but it does go on sale periodically, and I think it's easily worth the $.
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Colin Furness MISt PhD MPH @furnesscolin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I mask less than I used to. I don't care if I'm the only one masking, it's not that, it's about trying to find sustainable safety. Masking represents a reasoned response to an unavoidable lack of safety, and I always have one at hand. But avoiding risky situations is a main strategy.
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Colin Furness MISt PhD MPH @furnesscolin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is what I do when COVID surges. I studiously avoid large indoor crowds, and I minimize dining out. I mask on public transit. I snort Viraleze 1-4 times a day - safe and effective. If I feel in any way dodgy, I gargle with mouthwash containing CPC (not for daily/chronic use). 2/4
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Colin Furness MISt PhD MPH @furnesscolin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Is COVID surging in Ontario? I think it is. Wastewater surveillance lags about 2 weeks (which yes, mostly defeats its purpose). It reads as low/moderate. But in other jurisdictions around us it's surging. Anecdotally, I see a big bump in infections among people I know, just in the last week. 1/4
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Michael Olesen @molesen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
While I obviously prefer 100% masking in healthcare settings during the pandemic, I wrote criteria for mandates based on test results yesterday. Today I found out the CMO for the system really liked my methodology. I'll take that as a win.
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Jon Douglas @atranscendedman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Lily Emmanuel developed fatigue, brain fog, breathing problems and multi-system illness after suspected COVID. Years of fluctuating disability led her into Long COVID research, where she now helps shape clinical trials. fnih.org/patient-enga...
fnih.org
Long COVID Struggle Inspires Interest in Medical Research | FNIH
Grappling with Long COVID as a high school freshman changed everything for Lily Emmanuel. Over time, this led to an enduring interest in science and research.
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
USA: "More than 1 in 10 US healthcare personnel (HCP) reported persistent moderate or severe long-COVID symptoms at both 3 and 6 months after infection" Older age, being female, underlying health conditions and multiple COVID infections were linked to greater odds of persistent symptoms.
cidrap.umn.edu
More than 1 in 10 US healthcare workers report ongoing long-COVID symptoms, study finds
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Jonathan Douglas PhD CPsych @jonathanconp.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Masks belong in healthcare, always! And psychology is healthcare.
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Kristin Meekes @kmeekes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Chronically ill and disabled people have been wholly abandoned, hundreds of millions of people (+ growing) have long covid and/or new health problems triggered by infection, kids don't have clean air in schools, people can't even access safe healthcare
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Kristin Meekes @kmeekes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
who are masking and trying to fill gaps in information and accessibility 👍 great job everyone
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Kristin Meekes @kmeekes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Governments everywhere declared the pandemic over without cleaning indoor air, public health didn't explain how COVID spreads or the long term risks of infection (+ reinfections), we’ve all been forced back to normal (but with covid in the air) and large accounts here are dunking on people
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Glass Half Empty 🇨🇦 @yulnative.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Is anyone who can do something about indoor air quality ever going to listen? My GP's office sits at 1700 ppm CO2 and anyone who can do something about it does shit.
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IDSA @idsainfo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Tomorrow! Hear from IDSA, the Vaccine Integrity Project, and representatives from @ama-assn.org, @aafp.org, AAPA and @acog.org tomorrow at 12pm ET for a free webinar highlighting this season's respiratory virus immunization recommendations. Register: bit.ly/4hoq5FT
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Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🦠🛡️ The #SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF8 can hijack #macrophages, making them easier to infect and fueling #lung #inflammation—a pathway that could offer a new target for severe #COVID19. #coronavirus #Pathogen #SARSCoV2 #Biomed #Microsky via @sciencex.bsky.social medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09...
medicalxpress.com
How a single viral protein hijacks immune cells to supercharge COVID-19 infection
In the sickest COVID-19 patients, SARS-CoV-2 doesn't just cause severe damage by directly infecting airway cells. The virus can also trigger hyperinflammation—a cycle in which immune cells themselves…
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
A recent study by IHEP member @dfisman.bsky.social, @uoftdlsph.bsky.social, & co-authors found that while COVID-19 infections rose sharply across all groups during the Omicron period, racialized individuals in Canada continued to experience higher SARS-CoV-2 infection risk. 🔗 bit.ly/4wGRCaZ
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
For people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the effects of COVID-19 may extend beyond the initial recovery period. Read the new publication by IHEP members Joseph Munn, Peter Austin, Clare Atzema, Candace McNaughton and Andrea Gershon. 🔗https://bit.ly/4qLYvqd
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
📚 As students head back to school, indoor air quality can help support healthier classrooms. In this video, Sarah Haines @civmin.bsky.social shares practical evidence-informed steps schools can take to improve air filtration & reduce airborne particles indoors. @utoronto.ca @engineering.utoronto.ca
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
IHEP members Sharmistha Mishra, Sharon Straus and Michelle Murti are featured in UofTMed Magazine, discussing how wastewater surveillance is helping communities monitor infectious diseases, inform public health action and strengthen preparedness. bit.ly/3UJdjtU
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
We are now the Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics! Our new name reflects a broader commitment: advancing research, policy, and partnerships to strengthen global health resilience. 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/43J7iyM #HealthEmergencies #Pandemics #UofT #HealthSecurity
Blue graphic with University of Toronto and Institute logos; text announces new name: Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics.
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Institute of Health Emergencies & Pandemics @uoftpandemics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🛡️ As flu season approaches, air filtration remains an important layer of protection against infectious diseases. IHEP member Jeff Siegel @engineering.utoronto.ca) explains how high-efficiency air filtration can help reduce airborne pathogens in shared indoor spaces.
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Conor Browne @brownecfm.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
1. New-onset allergies following COVID: 'The Covid 'on switch' Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergy. But "it's not all genetics," says Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University in Illinois...
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
“During COVID” is, checks date, NOW: www.ksat.com/video/news/2...
ksat.com
South Texas school district cancels classes amid COVID-19 spread
A South Texas school district shut down classes for two days due to a growing number of COVID-19 cases.
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
When do infections lead to long COVID? Scientists close in on triggers and treatments for post-viral syndromes www.nature.com/articles/d41... Sept 2, 2026
nature.com
When do infections lead to long COVID? Scientists close in on triggers and treatments for post-viral syndromes
Hundreds of millions of people have long-term conditions as a result of an infection. Researchers are working out how to help them.
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
“COVID-19 may trigger the same immune pathway as lupus” September 3, 2026 www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cov...
cidrap.umn.edu
COVID-19 may trigger the same immune pathway as lupus
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I loved it when the majority of the population understood (and cared) that getting vaccinated was a gift to ourselves and to our community members. The platform given to anti-vaxxers’ opinion-based evidence-making is infuriating…and clearly deadly.
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Safety In Numbers @safetyinnumbers.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
No doubt this opinion will make me extremely popular, but... Maybe we were wrong to treat respiratory diseases as trivial annoyances to be ignored, rather than rigorously prevented, especially among children. Not just #COVID - post-viral conditions are underappreciated for many diseases.
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@safetyinnumbers.bsky.social is bang on regarding their assessment of the situation👇
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 16/09/2026
study: updated Covid vaccines provide a large reduction in the risk of infection, severe illness, and hospitalization, particularly for pregnant women and young children jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season
This Special Communication aims to identify and summarize the most recently published evidence evaluating the effectiveness and safety of US-licensed COVID-19 vaccines and report on the epidemiology o...
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Why is everyone sicker these days? ‘Relative to adults reporting no SARS-CoV-2 infections, those reporting two or more had significantly greater odds of being diagnosed with a new condition’ Gov of Canada, Sept 2026 www.canada.ca/en/public-he...
canada.ca
Associations between self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infections and the diagnosis of new health conditions - Canada.ca
Exploratory analyses examining associations between SARS-CoV-2 infections and newly diagnosed health conditions
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“Air sampling at four US airports in 2023 and 2024 detected SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in over 98% of samples and influenza A in over 17%, according to a study published in PLOS Global Public Health” www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/air...
cidrap.umn.edu
Airport air sampling captures COVID, influenza viruses
Researchers say air monitoring complements wastewater testing in detecting respiratory pathogens from diverse populations, including asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people.
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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
People will cut out artificial food dyes, spend hours at the gym, drink vitamin infused water…and then go to the airport and rawdog breathing in an airborne pathogen that can disable you permanenty and is basically guaranteed to be there.
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Matt Oliver @sameo416.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Excellent @ctvnewscalgary.bsky.social story feature two super voices of science @drdavidkeegan.bsky.social and @mark-ungrin.bsky.social. Precaution means you use higher mitigation until you know absolutely a lower mitigation is acceptable. A lack of hazard is never assumed only proven.
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Matt Oliver @sameo416.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/arti...
ctvnews.ca
‘Outdated’ health policies surrounding Covid still pose a danger today, says U of C researcher
University of Calgary professor Mark Ungrin has dedicated years of research highlighting what he believes is of significant concern to all Canadians’ health.
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Matt Oliver @sameo416.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Experto crede. The motto of AETE, the military flight test establishment, my home for a too short 4 years. It means something like, trust those who know, place credence in those who understand. Which this piece has aplenty!
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Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
CTV news coverage of the errors in health policy and guidance that leave the public unprotected from aerosol disease transmission and long COVID (with @drdavidkeegan.bsky.social and Kerri Bowser) is up. Great to see so much interest! Below is the UK inquiry cited: #medsky #scisky #cdnpoli #polisky
youtu.be
COVID health policy still outdated: researchers
YouTube video by CTV News
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
USA: Epidemic trend summary: September 18, 2026 COVID-19 As of September 16, 2026: 🔹27 states have COVID-19 infections growing or likely growing 🔹13 states have infections declining or likely declining 🔹10 states show no change Source: www.cdc.gov/cfa-modeling...
An infographic titled "COVID-19" displays a color-coded map of the United States showing "Epidemic Trends" as of September 16, 2026. The text states that infections are growing or likely growing in 27 states, declining or likely declining in 13 states, and not changing in 10 states.
A legend on the right outlines the trend categories:
•	Growing (dark purple)
•	Likely Growing (light purple)
•	Not Changing (white)
•	Likely Declining (light teal)
•	Declining (dark teal)
•	Not Estimated (grey)
•	Data Unavailable (black)
The map shows large areas of grey (Not Estimated) across the northern and western regions, black (Data Unavailable) scattered in several states including California, and patches of purple (Growing/Likely Growing) primarily in parts of Texas, the Midwest, and the Northeast. Teal patches (Declining/Likely Declining) are visible in some southern states.
A summary box at the bottom for the United States notes that the weekly percentage of emergency department visits diagnosed with COVID-19 is low (0.6%), the epidemic trend is not changing, and the Rt Estimate is 1.01.
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Dr. Jen Irwin @drjenirwin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Thank you, @drdavidkeegan.bsky.social and @mark-ungrin.bsky.social !!
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🇨🇦Joe Vipond🇨🇦 @jvipondmd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Great job by friends @mark-ungrin.bsky.social and @drdavidkeegan.bsky.social getting the word out on the ongoing challenges getting the medical community to acknowledge and understand aerosol transmission of respiratory viruses.
ctvnews.ca
‘Outdated’ health policies surrounding Covid still pose a danger today, says U of C researcher
University of Calgary professor Mark Ungrin has dedicated years of research highlighting what he believes is of significant concern to all Canadians’ health.
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