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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Instead of taking insults to my intelligence personally, I research, qualify, and then educate.”
Simone Jennifer Smith

I won’t lie. I have been in my feelings lately. Instead of staying in the feeling, I faced the facts that when it comes to this pandemic, I have to give credit where credit is due.

The mainstream media continues to impress me with their ability to manipulate, and present information in a way that drives fear, induces stress, and divides the masses. Mainstream media is the giant, and then you have a few tenacious individuals who have chosen to see through the hypocrisy, and work together to help their communities.

 

 

I know that there are members of the community who have been following our coverage of COVID-19. Some agree with us, and others think that we are endangering their health and well-being. Respectfully, I understand both sides, and this is why we move to bring credible, relevant content to our community.

This week, I turned to a cohort, who should have been turned to from the very beginning. In 1.5 million years of human existence, it is only for about the past 200 years that communities have not turned to their elders during times of extreme social strain. An anthropologist will coincide with the fact that in prehistoric times, the collection of wisdom found with our elders was the key to human survival.

Our elders have a wealth of experience. They have gained so much wisdom in their lifetime; it is almost idiotic to not turn to them, especially when they have experienced situations that you are personally struggling with.

Life is cyclical. What has happened before will happen again. There is nothing really new under the sun. When facing indecision, or dealing with an experience that you have never been through before, why not ask an elder? Find out how they handled the experience.

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Richard Schabas, a retired physician, and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer from 1987 – 1997. He happened to be the Chief of Staff at York Central Hospital during the SARS crisis in 2003. During this time, he spoke at “Pandemics and the Media: Global Health Challenges,” a conference that promotes the understanding about how to best inform the public in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Dr. Schabas spoke out against the WHO’s 2005 declaration of a pandemic third-stage alert for avian flu. He did not believe it was justified, as there was no substantive change in the behaviour of the disease. He was sure to point out that he believed that the decision was based on politics, not on scientific or biological events.

With his over 40 years of experience in the medical field, no one has been paying closer attention to this pandemic than Dr. Schabas. What he is focused on is the daily situation reports issued by the World Health Organization. What he shared with me that day was not only powerful, but also eye opening, even for me who has been following this pandemic, just as closely.

“We shouldn’t panic!” Dr. Richard Schabas

Let’s take a look at some facts. At the beginning of March 2020, Dr. Schabas contributed an article to the Globe & Mail, and in that article, he calls attention to the numbers.

“But in the same three months, there have been about three million deaths in China from other causes, and about 14 million deaths worldwide. During the same three-month period, according to Health Canada, there have been almost 10,000 deaths in Canada from tobacco addiction, for instance – and just one from COVID-19.”
(“Strictly by the numbers, the coronavirus does not register as a dire global crisis”, Globe and Mail, March 11th, 2020)

He stresses on paying attention to just the facts, not the sensationalized version of the facts. During his time dealing with SARS in 2003, he learned some powerful lessons. He shares his discomfort on how the WHO issues their daily reports. In his eyes, the reports given are wrong in many aspects. However, like I mentioned above, these larger global organizations are the strongest sources of information out there.

One thing he does not preach is complacency. He realizes that this disease is not going away anytime soon. He stresses that we need to be vigilant in our surveillance of the pandemic. Travellers from areas of active disease should be tested. Patients with atypical pneumonia should be hospitalized. People with COVID-19 need to be isolated, and their close contacts monitored. In his words,

“We need to be sensible. The province going back into a lockdown is not only unnecessary, it’s also damaging. Our last lockdown accomplished nothing. We need to establish our non-negotiable, which are school, and people’s ability to be financially independent. People have to be able to work.”

There is so much that I could share with you in this article, but I think that it would be better off if you heard it from him. I am going to share two topics that we went into: quarantines, and masks.

“Quarantine belongs back in the Middle Ages. Save your masks for robbing banks. Stay calm and carry on. Let’s not make our attempted cures worse than the disease.”

Quarantine
Quarantine is defined as “restrictions placed on the entrance to and the exit from the place or premises where a case of communicable disease exists.” It describes the actions directed at healthy people thought to have been exposed to a communicable disease and who may be nurturing the infection.

His article “Is the Quarantine Act Relevant,” Dr. Schabas goes into detail about why quarantining is not the best way to handle a pandemic. He shares that quarantine is an ancient concept. It can be traced back to the Black Death in 14th century Italy. At that time, the period of detention was 30 days, and was later modified to 40 days (quarantino). He calls these measures “harsh and stupid.” There are unmarked graves on Grosse-Île on the St. Lawrence River that bear witness to how well quarantine worked for them.

It was interesting to learn that about 40 years ago, quarantine had fallen into disrepute because of the widespread perception that it did not work. It became relevant again in the mid-1980s to describe an unsuitable effort to control the spread of HIV. Since then, quarantining has become a thing again. It gained strength during the SARS situation in 2003. Now, quarantining has turned into a measure to fight pandemic influenza.

Dr. Schabas introduced “The Control of Communicable Disease Manual,” which provides an authoritative summary of control measures for more than 150 infectious diseases of public health concern. The book recommends modified quarantine for only six diseases, and: influenza, smallpox or SARS are not on that list.

According to Dr. Schabas, for quarantine to be effective, three conditions must be met:
1. The disease must be efficiently transmissible in its incubation period or very early in its symptomatic stage. Case isolation, not quarantine, is appropriate for diseases that are spread only during symptomatic illness. Quarantine will be ineffective for diseases that can be spread by people with only asymptomatic illness.
2. Second, it must be possible and practical to identify all, or virtually all, people incubating the infection.
3. Third, infected people must comply with the conditions of the quarantine.
When I go through this list, I think to myself, what handbook is the government reading out of? Also, where are they finding their specialists? This unnecessary quarantining has hurt our communities. It has caused: diversion of scarce resources (toilet paper hoarding), augmentation of public fears and intolerances (mask-shaming), provocation of civil disobedience (non-maskers) and infringement of human rights.

“Masks have become a symbol. All it does is identify someone as being on the good side. Personally, I think it is silly to wear masks.”

Masks
Dr. Schabas mentions that he thinks that the governments are all caught up in a high stakes poker game where they can’t fold. Every country keeps upping the ante, and then other countries follow suit. He truly does not understand where the global governments are going with these measures. He feels that they have all over-reacted.

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time I personally write about the harmful effects of masks. This is yet another doctor telling us that the use of masks is hurting rather than helping us.

There are studies that continue to show that the prolonged use of facemasks is associated with higher rates of respiratory infection and depression of the immune system.

Dr. Colin D. Furness, a professor from the University of Toronto, also is speaking out about the fact that wearing a mask can be dangerous. He notes that masks can collect bacteria and other viruses.

There was a study done in a U.K. medical journal, showing that health-care workers who wore cloth masks all day while working were 13 times more likely to get a respiratory illness when compared to those who only wore a mask when necessary.

Let’s wrap this up with one more study that supports Dr. Schabas’s attitude when it comes to masks. A Singapore study observed health care workers, and they found that those who wore their masks for long periods of time developed new headaches or exacerbation of their pre-existing headache disorders.

I want to be clear about something here. Dr. Schabas does not have any issues with people who want to wear masks; he just wants you to be doing it safely, and he thinks that mandating it is unnecessary.

I am starting to question certain things that I continue to hear in the mainstream media. As I question, I dig for answers, I consult with those who know more than me, and then, I share it with you. Do with it as you wish!

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Urban Alliance on Race Relations celebrates and highlights Racial Justice Award recipients

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1 day ago

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December 19, 2024

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BY PAUL JUNOR

It has been almost 40 years since the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) has been at the forefront of: promoting tolerance, social justice, racial equity and fairness. Since it was formed in 1975, they have celebrated and recognized changemakers in the fight for racial justice in diverse sectors such as: health, labour, government, education, arts, media, environment, and justice.

On Saturday, December 7th, 2024, there was a great turnout at the 2024 Racial Justice Awards Night held at The Estate Banquet & Event Centre in Scarborough. In attendance were many community supporters, civic officials, long-time racial justice warriors, and individuals from diverse ethnic groups.

UARR is grateful for all the sponsors of the Racial Justice Awards Night Celebration. It notes in its email to its supporters on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, the importance of its sponsors including:

  • United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) of Canada, UFCW, Local 175
  • The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 353
  • Unite Here! Local 75
  • Toronto & York Region Labour Council
  • Canadian Labour Congress
  • The Coalitions of Black Trade Union (CBTUL)

“Your sponsorship plays a vital role in shining a light on individuals and organizations driving equity, justice, and change in our communities. This celebration is more than an event, it’s a movement. Thanks to your support, we’re: honoring changemakers, amplifying unheard voices, and funding initiatives that break down systemic barriers.”

The categories and names of the awards and recipients were:

Racial Justice in Arts: Hannia Cheng

She is an artist and cultural worker who co-founded Unit 270, a DIY gallery and multi-purpose grassroots community hub in Chinatown Centre.

Racial Justice in Labour: Vanessa Story

She is the founder of the Black Youth York Region and co-founder of the York Communities for Public Education coalition.

Racial Justice in Education: Shannon Simpson

She is Senior Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto.

Racial Justice in Environment: Dr. Ingrid Waldron

She is a Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global and Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University.

Urban Alliance of Race Relations Agent of Change Award: Kirk Mark

He is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Consultant at KIRK Mark & Associates.

Racial Justice in Media: Amanda Parris

She is an award-winning writer, tv host and producer, and former host of CBC Arts Exhibitionist.

Racial Justice in Health: Camille Orridge

She is former CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TCLHIN).

Racial Justice in Government: Amira Elghawaby

She is a journalist and human rights advocate who was appointed in January 2023 as Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.

Racial Justice in Justice: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALC0)

This legal clinic supports low-income South Asian people in Canada.

The funds raised from the Awards night will be going toward the work of the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program. This innovative and creative program is directly involved in enabling racialized youth to get paid experience working in municipal governments and at various public policy making organizations across Canada.

The performers at the event included: Katheen Zaragosa (a Filipino music performer), Rithika Jeristus & Maya Jeristus (Bharatanatyam dancers) and Yasmin Said (spoken word artist)

UARR is looking forward to its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and shared five of its strategic priorities for the next 10 years including:

  • Employment and economic opportunity: The goal is to foster inclusive workspaces and economic opportunities.
  • Education: The goal is to promote racial equity in education and research.
  • Communication: The goal is to expand public awareness and reach to amplify our stories.
  • Community engagement and outreach: The goal is building community capacity and convening towards change.
  • Truth and reconciliation-relationship building and supporting calls to action. The goal is to strengthen our solidarity and action towards truth and reconciliation.

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Community News

What is it about those short videos that keep us captivated? Oh! Yes! Our short attention span

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1 day ago

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December 19, 2024

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BY KAHA GEDI

As our attention spans decrease, short form videos are becoming more popular. From TikTok, to YouTube Shorts, to Instagram Reels, these “snack sized” videos have positive qualities alongside the bad. Mainly we want to know what makes them so effective, and why are they becoming the go-to choice for both viewers and marketers? In this article, I will be discussing how these videos have received such popularity worldwide.

First, we need to understand what counts as and what is short-form content. According to blog.hubspot.com, “Short-form videos are videos that are less than 60 seconds long.” However, some marketers and content creators agree that short-form videos can be up to 3 minutes. “They are videos that deliver information in a ‘digestible’ format so that viewers can quickly watch and save content if they’re in a hurry or enjoy it.” Now, I’ll talk about the main reasons why these videos are so popular.

First, our attention spans have gone down exponentially. Dr Gloria Mark has written a book called “Attention Span,” and she says her research indicates people’s attention spans have been shrinking over the last 20 years. According to the same article Dr. Mark said that “Back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average. Throughout the years, it became shorter. So, around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds. Then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds.” So, it’s notable that our attention spans started out longer but then decreased over time.

Secondly, these videos have become cheaper and easier to make. Unlike long-form videos, which require extensive: planning, editing, and storytelling, short-form videos are simpler. To the point where they can even be shot on a smartphone. For example, DuoLingo, the app that helps learn new languages, went viral on TikTok a long time ago by posting funny, low-budget videos that resonate with millions. Like a video of a DuoLingo plus being: tossed down the stairs, sitting outside on a rainy day, or being soaked by the shower with the title “When you ignore my notifications.”

Lastly, they provide valuable information in a short amount of time, and they are easily accessible. According to a recent Adobe Survey, two in five Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and nearly one in 10 Gen Zeers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine. This isn’t always reliable for real news because anyone can claim to be an expert, and you wouldn’t know if they’re telling the truth. So, even though they give valuable information in a short time, they can also give misinformation or mislead you.

Short-form videos have changed how we watch and learn things. They fit our short attention spans, are easy to make, and share information quickly. Even though they’re fun and helpful, they can also spread false information or leave out important details. Even with these problems, short-form videos are here to stay, so we should use them in proportion, but also enjoy the benefits.

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Dr. Edward McInnis on the Importance of Preventive Care in Family Medicine

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2 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Preventive care is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, emphasizing the importance of addressing potential health concerns before they escalate into severe conditions. By focusing on proactive measures such as regular screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle counseling, preventive care offers individuals and communities the opportunity to achieve long-term wellness.

Below, Edward McInnis highlights the transformative potential of prevention in reducing healthcare disparities, alleviating systemic challenges, and ensuring that every individual has the tools and access needed to lead a healthier life.

Understanding Preventive Care in Family Medicine

Preventive care in family medicine focuses on proactive measures to maintain health and prevent illness before it occurs. This approach emphasizes regular health evaluations, screenings, and interventions that identify potential issues early, reducing the likelihood of severe complications. Preventive care fosters long-term well-being by addressing risk factors and promoting healthier lifestyles while minimizing the burden of chronic diseases.

The philosophy behind preventive care aligns with the idea that staying healthy is more effective and less costly than treating illnesses after they arise. Early detection of conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol allows patients and physicians to manage these issues effectively, preventing them from escalating into more severe health problems. Beyond individual benefits, this care model contributes to healthier communities by reducing the overall demand for healthcare systems.

Benefits of Preventive Care for Individuals and Communities

Preventive care profoundly impacts individuals and the broader community by addressing potential health concerns before they evolve into severe conditions. Early detection through routine screenings can significantly lower the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. This improves individual health outcomes and reduces the emotional and financial toll of managing advanced diseases.

Communities prioritizing preventive care experience a ripple effect of healthier populations and reduced strain on healthcare resources. When more people engage in regular check-ups and adopt healthier habits, the prevalence of preventable conditions drops, creating a collective benefit. Individuals who invest in their health through preventive measures often enjoy longer, more active lives, positively influencing families, workplaces, and society.

The economic advantages of preventive care are undeniable, as early intervention typically costs far less than treating advanced illnesses. Vaccination programs, such as those targeting seasonal flu or childhood diseases, can drastically curb outbreaks, saving lives and reducing medical expenses. These benefits demonstrate how preventive care is a cornerstone of sustainable and effective healthcare systems.

Core Preventive Services in Family Medicine

Family medicine emphasizes various preventive services designed to address health needs across all stages of life. Regular health screenings, such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks, are critical in identifying silent health risks. These assessments provide actionable insights that allow individuals to make timely adjustments to their lifestyles or begin treatment when necessary.

Vaccinations are another cornerstone of preventive care, protecting individuals and communities from infectious diseases. From childhood immunizations to seasonal flu shots, these interventions safeguard personal health and prevent the spread of illnesses within larger populations. Counseling services, including guidance on nutrition, exercise, and stress management, empower patients to take an active role in their long-term well-being.

The Role of Family Physicians in Prevention

Family physicians play a pivotal role in fostering preventive care through their ability to build lasting, trust-based relationships with patients. These relationships enable them to understand not just medical histories but also lifestyle factors, family dynamics, and social determinants of health. This comprehensive knowledge allows physicians to craft personalized preventive strategies that resonate with each patient’s unique circumstances, ensuring a more practical approach to maintaining health.

Beyond individual care, family physicians act as educators, equipping patients with the knowledge to make informed health decisions. Whether discussing the significance of regular screenings or addressing misconceptions about vaccines, their guidance helps patients take ownership of their health.

The continuity of care provided by family physicians also ensures that preventive measures are consistently monitored and adjusted as needed, fostering long-term well-being. Their ability to provide holistic and deeply personalized care sets the foundation for healthier patients and communities.

Challenges in Accessing Preventive Care

Despite its proven benefits, accessing preventive care remains challenging for many individuals and communities. Financial barriers, such as lack of insurance coverage or high out-of-pocket costs, often deter people from seeking preventive services. Additionally, limited awareness about the importance of early detection and health promotion means that some individuals may only prioritize preventive care once a health issue becomes severe.

Geographical disparities also play a significant role in limiting access. Rural and underserved areas frequently face shortages of healthcare providers, making it difficult for residents to receive consistent preventive services. In such regions, innovative approaches like mobile health clinics and telemedicine have emerged as solutions to bridge the gap. Expanding these efforts could help overcome logistical obstacles and ensure that preventive care reaches those most in need.

Cultural factors and mistrust of the healthcare system can further complicate access to preventive services. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes community engagement, culturally sensitive care, and efforts to build trust between healthcare providers and patients. Strengthening health literacy and facilitating dialogue between healthcare institutions and the communities they serve are also critical steps in overcoming these barriers.

Promoting and Advancing Preventive Care

Advancing preventive care depends on raising awareness and fostering a culture that values proactive health management. Educational campaigns, workplace wellness programs, and school-based health initiatives encourage people to adopt preventive practices. These efforts create an environment where individuals feel empowered to prioritize their well-being, leading to healthier lifestyles and earlier intervention.

The integration of technology is revolutionizing how preventive care is delivered. Wearable devices that track physical activity, heart rate, and sleep patterns provide individuals with real-time data about their health, prompting timely action when irregularities arise. Similarly, data analytics and predictive tools enable healthcare providers to identify at-risk populations and deliver targeted interventions, improving outcomes on a broader scale.

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