The Dose

Canada's vaccine advisory body has recommended booster shots for certain immunocompromised individuals. But other countries such as Israel and the U.K are offering third doses to broader segments of their populations, despite concerns about ongoing inequities in global vaccine distribution. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch takes a close look at the issues.

Canadians aged 12 to 39 now have the lowest vaccination rates in the country. And with the majority of COVID-19 cases appearing in unvaccinated people, experts say it’s as important as ever to increase vaccination rates across Canada. So how can you use science to counter the misinformation behind vaccine refusal?

Delta has become the predominant strain of COVID across the country. Dr. Brian Goldman talks to Nazeem Muhajarine, professor of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, about what we need to do to avoid a lockdown this fall.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave "accelerated approval" this month to the first new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades. But there is controversy over the efficacy of the drug, as well as its cost and side effects. Saska Sivananthan, chief of research and knowledge translation for the Alzheimer Society of Canada, breaks down what we know so far about the drug.

The pandemic led to a drop in the rates of smoking and vaping tobacco. But while smoking rates continue to fall, vaping rates especially in teens are creeping up again. David Hammond, a professor of public health, outlines the risks and why we can't forget the 'old pandemic' of smoking.

More and more Canadians are getting their second dose of COVID vaccine. So what's safe for you to do if you're heading into a two dose summer? Can you travel? Hug your grandkids? Go to restaurants? Infectious diseases specialist Lynora Saxinger has the answers for what life can look if you're fully vaccinated.

Some Canadians may be looking at the reopening in the U.K. with some envy but not so fast, says U.K. epidemiologist Dr. Deepti Gurdasani. The delta variant, also known as B1617, first identified in India, is driving a new COVID wave in the U.K. — and it's spreading quickly around the world, including in Canada. Gurdasani has stark advice to Canadian officials: act now to contain this variant or a...

Surgery delays, addiction, a steep drop off in ER visits, all contributed to a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic beyond COVID deaths. Yet for some common conditions, the drop in ER visits had no impact on patient outcomes. What does this tell us? And how can we tackle the surgery backlog? Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, explains.

Feeling anxious about re-entering society when pandemic restrictions are lifted? Or maybe you're feeling exuberant? Steven Taylor, author "The Psychology of Pandemics", and a professor and clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry at UBC, walks us through the psychology of post-pandemic life — and why some people will experience lingering mental health side effects, while others will e...

What's the difference between seeing a therapist and trusting a therapist? Dr. Hillary McBride and her clients want you to hear for yourself in Other People’s Problems. After working together for years, they want to demystify the long game when it comes to mental health and let us hear what years of therapy really sound like. More episodes are available at hyperurl.co/otherpeoplesproblems

Coronavirus is airborne, so what does that mean for how we fight COVID outbreaks? Michael Brauer, a professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, is calling for a shift in COVID prevention strategies. He says we need to focus more on ventilation and much less on disinfecting — particularly because cleaning products can be associated with some health conditions.

Catherine Hankins, the co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, explains why achieving herd immunity may be elusive, but stopping transmission with vaccines can lead to a similar return to some semblance of normalcy — and that should be the focus.

Surveys suggest cannabis use in Canada is up by as much as 35% in the pandemic. And cannabis sales doubled in this country last year. So what are the risks of cannabis use? And how can you minimize those risks? Neuroscientist Sarah Konefal, a research and policy analyst with Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, has the lowdown on the reducing the harms of getting high.

The risk of catching coronavirus outdoors is very low. Yet new pandemic restrictions in Ontario ban most outdoor sports and gatherings. Infectious diseases physician Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti joins Dr. Brian Goldman to debunk myths about outdoor transmission - and explain why being outside is so much safer than being inside, and what you can do to reduce your risk even further.

The COVID variant P1 is surging in BC and spreading east. Infectious diseases and critical care specialist Dr. Srinivas Murthy joins Dr. Brian Goldman to break down what you need to know about P1 - and what can be done to stop it, including restricting interprovincial travel.

Learning how to breathe better can have real impacts on your overall health, according to James Nestor, author of “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art”. He shares tips on how we can harness the power of our breath, even when we're wearing a mask, and feel better physically and mentally as a result.

This week we hand The Dose over to you. Canadians have been on a roller-coaster with changing guidance on the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, so we put your questions to infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla who, despite rising COVID-19 numbers and vaccine concerns, remains optimistic.

There's lot of confusing information around the COVID-19 vaccines. It's hard to figure out what's accurate and what's misinformation or deliberate disinformation. Infectious diseases expert Tara Moriarty joins host Dr. Brian Goldman to talk tips and hacks for spotting COVID vaccine misinformation.

The third wave of COVID is here in Ontario according to experts but epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan says there are steps governments and individuals can take to blunt its impact in Ontario -- or avoid the wave altogether in other regions of the country -- including closing schools.

Losing weight is frustratingly hard -- especially during a pandemic when studies show people have gained weight. Host Dr. Brian Goldman is joined by one of Canada’s leading experts on weight loss, Dr. Sean Wharton, who breaks down the best science around how to lose weight, as well as the connections between COVID-19 and obesity.

With kids in Canada mostly back in classrooms, more kids are testing positive for COVID-19. So how do you know if your kid has COVID? Infectious disease physician Dr. Janine McCready breaks down the symptoms, the best tests for kids, and how to lower the risk of your kid getting sick.

The pandemic is testing the limits of kids' resilience. But there are proven strategies that can help children cope, even if caregivers and parents feel they’re not coping so well themselves. Nancy Heath, a professor of educational and counselling psychology at McGill University in Montreal breaks down what parents should - and shouldn't - be doing to foster resilience.

With the COVID-19 variants spreading in Canada, infectious disease specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger joins Dr. Brian Goldman to break down the newest science around masks, with tips on which ones you should be wearing, how to fit them, and how to tell if your mask is working.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla breaks down everything you need to know about the five leading vaccines against COVID-19 and how they work - or don’t - against the variants of concern. And what it could all mean for your life and the future of the pandemic.

Stress changes your brain and has physical, mental and cognitive side effects. Many Canadians report drastically increased stress rates during the pandemic. Psychology professor Leslie Roos joins Dr. Brian Goldman to share proven, evidence based strategies for managing stress and feeling better.