COVID-19 wastewater surveillance in Canada

By Qiaochu Liang, Biology & Life Sciences co-editor Although COVID-related restrictions have eased and the social activities of Canadians have resumed, the pandemic persists, especially with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. As information gathered from individual testing has decreased, Canadian health authorities have adopted a more effective approach for keeping track of the presence and […]

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Why does getting enough sleep matter?

By Dorottya Harangi, Health, Medicine & Veterinary Science co-editor When I was at university, I had friends who pulled all-nighters before every exam. As someone who loves her sleep and would never dream of skipping a night of rest, it was such a foreign concept to me. What are the consequences of being sleep-deprived and […]

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Planting the seed for the future of vaccine development

By Amanda Scanga, guest contributor One consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is the accelerated development of new vaccines. Researchers quickly created, tested, manufactured and administered new vaccines, most of them based on messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is a knowledge base that has been in development for decades. Many people remain hesitant to get vaccinated for […]

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Low income increases the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic

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by Christine Thou, Environmental Sciences editor It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically shifted how Canadians live their lives. Arguably, no one has felt this as keenly as low-income individuals. Their struggles to access important resources and meet financial commitments expose them to stress stimuli that make enduring the pandemic more difficult. Overall, […]

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When the opioid epidemic met the coronavirus pandemic

Opioids are prescribed as painkillers. Over prescription can lead to addiction or worse. Photo by Halacious, on Unsplash, CC0.

Sonja Soo, Communications, Education & Outreach editor The opioid crisis in Canada has been a public emergency since 2016. According to the Government of Canada, there have been more than 22,000 opioid toxicity deaths in the last five years. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened opioid-related deaths in Canada – in the months that followed the […]

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