
What’s important to know about the new COVID-19 variants?
New variants of SARS-CoV-2 identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa have led to escalating infections, lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Quebec doctor’s death highlights pandemic toll on health workers
The pandemic has compounded workloads for already burned-out and overworked health professionals.

Women experts underrepresented in pandemic coverage
Two-thirds of the sources interviewed by major Canadian news outlets since the beginning of the pandemic were men.

Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023
A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support.
Trudeau promises to boost federal health transfers when the pandemic is over
An eventual increase in federal transfers to provinces for health care will come with strings attached.
Should Canada aim for #CovidZero?
The countries most successful at curbing COVID-19 aim to eliminate, not manage outbreaks. Now some doctors want Canada to do the same.
Does medical professionalism have a dark side?
Unexamined biases in medical professional standards may disadvantage those who don’t fit the stock photo image of a doctor.

Controversial medical licensing exam cancelled with two days’ notice
The last-minute cancellation of the MCCEQ II will leave many newly graduated doctors in licensing limbo.
Driven to distraction, doctors and patients are renegotiating virtual visits
Should there be different rules of engagement for virtual care appointments?
Increasing safety concerns over medical licensing exam
The Medical Council of Canada is going ahead with MCCQE II exams despite some exam site cancellations.
Public health experts are learning from Canada’s anti-mask protests
The backlash against wearing masks is a cautionary tale about mistrust and miscommunication.

Record gift to University of Toronto faculty of medicine supports AI, equity
A new centre for artificial intelligence will bring together experts in computer science, statistics, and medicine.
Review uncovers fatal flaws in long-term care infection control
Long-term care facilities must balance the risk of COVID-19 against residents’ quality of life, according to a review into an outbreak in Nova Scotia.
Hospitals rolling out the “welcome mat” to ease COVID-19 fears
Small changes can make a world of difference to patients anxious about seeking care.
What about the wait times Canada isn’t tracking?
Patients can wait years for access to non-surgical health services, yet there’s little accountability for those delays.
How can Canada improve worsening wait times?
COVID-19 has compounded longstanding access problems but may compel change.
Physician billing data reveal striking gender pay gap
If you’re a female doctor in Ontario, you’re likely paid less than your male peers.
Abortion clinic websites blocked at Toronto hospital
Doctors at St. Joseph’s Health Centre are concerned by institutional firewalls blocking abortion information.
How many Canadian kids suffer harm linked to vaping and cannabis?
New data show that some young people experience lingering vaping-related health issues.
Why are Indigenous communities seeing so few cases of COVID-19?
Indigenous communities have fared better than the rest of Canada in the first wave of the pandemic despite facing major challenges to infectious disease control.
“This is way more complicated than anyone expected…”
Dr. Catherine Hankins talks about the “humbling and sobering” work of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.
Should health workers confront patients who they suspect of abusing their partners?
Clinicians are often hesitant to address intimate partner violence.
Quebec doctor’s death highlights pandemic toll on health workers
The pandemic has compounded workloads for already burned-out and overworked health professionals.
Women experts underrepresented in pandemic coverage
Two-thirds of the sources interviewed by major Canadian news outlets since the beginning of the pandemic were men.
Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023
A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support.

COVID-19: A timeline of Canada’s first-wave response
How Canada faced COVID-19, from first cases to provinces reopening.

Trudeau promises to boost federal health transfers when the pandemic is over
An eventual increase in federal transfers to provinces for health care will come with strings attached.

Should Canada aim for #CovidZero?
The countries most successful at curbing COVID-19 aim to eliminate, not manage outbreaks. Now some doctors want Canada to do the same.

Does medical professionalism have a dark side?
Unexamined biases in medical professional standards may disadvantage those who don’t fit the stock photo image of a doctor.

Why some doctors want to defund the police
Calling the police shouldn’t be the only option in mental health crises, say health advocates.