Hospitals This article (2025-11-19) reports that the ICU at West Coast General Hospital in Alberni was going to close temporarily on 2025-11-20 until they can hire/transfer enough specialized staff. (Patients who need the ICU would be stabilized and then transferred to other hospitals.) The BC health minister said that this showed that there is a… Continue reading 2025-11-21 BC
Author: Ducky
2025-11-21 General
There’s been a lot of news this week, but most of the articles it’s been politicians-in-other-countries-doing-stupid-things. It hasn’t just been the USA, either: UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, and I forget who else all made appearances. That hasn’t left much mindshare for articles about the science and/or Canada. 🙁 COVID-19 Long COVID This paper… Continue reading 2025-11-21 General
2025-11-14 BC
Charts DAMMIT. The province is not going to give us the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital any more. 😠 From the Viral Pathogen Characterization page: I would like to point out that for the past three years, the peaks of COVID-19 cases (as measured by the province) have all been in early October… Continue reading 2025-11-14 BC
2025-11-14 General
I want to remind people again to get a flu shot this year. There’s a new substrain — H3N2 subclade K — which apparently is more contagious and nastier if you catch it. The flu shot isn’t hugely effective against infection but it has some effectiveness (especially for children!), and even if it doesn’t stop… Continue reading 2025-11-14 General
2025-11-07 BC
COVID-19 appears to be holding pretty steady. Flu actually went down according to the province, but that is probably noise. Charts From the Viral Pathogen Characterization page: In the most recent data (ending 1 Nov) as reported on 6 Nov 2025, among influenza-like illness (i.e upper respiratory diseases) cases the province has test data for:… Continue reading 2025-11-07 BC
2025-11-07 General
COVID-19 Long COVID 💉 This paper from USA (2025-11-01) reports that vaccination cuts the risk of Long COVID in adolescents by 36%. This paper from Alberta (2025-11-07) (and this press release on the paper) reports on differences between men with Long COVID and women with Long COVID. The study notes that testosterone normally helps keep… Continue reading 2025-11-07 General
2025-10-31 BC
COVID-19 looks like it is either plateuing or going down slowly. Influenza is clearly thinking about making its move, but hasn’t yet. If you are trying to time your flu vaccination for maximum effect, it might be time to start thinking about doing do in the next few weeks. H5N1 Transmission 🐦⬛🤧 This article (2025-10-27)… Continue reading 2025-10-31 BC
2025-10-31 General
COVID-19 Long COVID 🎉 This paper from USA (2025-10-21) reports that 74.3% of Long COVID patients in a Phase 1 study of rapamycin showed significant improvements in fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and orthostatic intolerance. COVID-Related Excess Death and Sickness 🫄 This article about this paper from USA (2025-10-30) reports that babies who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2… Continue reading 2025-10-31 General
2025-10-24 BC
COVID-19 seems pretty stable at a middling level. Flu has started to make an appearance, but it’s still at quite a low level. COVID-19 Vaccines 💉 Both Spouse and I got invitations this week to get COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, so it isn’t just for people over 65! A friend of mine told me he… Continue reading 2025-10-24 BC
2025-10-24 General
COVID-19 Vaccines 🎉 This isn’t about a vaccine exactly, but something that acts like a vaccine — i.e. it prevents you from getting sick. This paper from USA (2025-10-21) describes a small Phase 1 study in healthy adults of a plasmid DNA which, when injected, made the study participants’ cells make tixagevimab and cilgavimab —… Continue reading 2025-10-24 General