Ontario's doctors urge continued vigilance, long-term planning on anniversary of first COVID-19 reports from China
TORONTO, Dec. 31, 2020 /CNW/ - One year ago today, the first reports emerged from China that a cluster of cases of pneumonia of "unknown origin" were being treated in Wuhan City in the centre of the country.
Within days came confirmation that people were becoming seriously ill from this new SARS-like virus that was spreading rapidly around the world. The first case of what would become known as COVID-19 was confirmed in Ontario on Jan. 25, 2020.
The World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and there is no indication when it will be lifted. In Ontario, COVID-19 cases are rising to record levels after 150,000 people have already been infected and almost 4,100 have died.
The new year promises vaccines for many people. But Ontario's doctors say that until they are widely available, the only way to control the pandemic is to follow public health guidelines: stay home, celebrate or gather socially only with members of your household, stay at least two metres away from others when outside your home, wear a mask and wash your hands frequently.
"It's amazing what can change in a year" said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "In a year, we have gone from a mysterious illness in a faraway land that wasn't transmissible between people, to the singularly biggest medical event many of us will ever experience, world-wide. There were and are very real and ongoing tragedies: hundreds of thousands dead, worldwide economic disruption and more.
"But I choose to focus on the hope: the way people came together to protect and support each other; the way the scientific world collaboratively created, researched and released novel vaccines; the way technology allowed us to connect with each other in unprecedented ways, allowed people to work from home, allowed medical care to be accessed without risk of contagion.
"In another year, if all goes well, residents of Ontario, and Canada will be vaccinated, but I don't think we will ever go back to the old normal, nor should we. Imagine where we can be in a year if we continue to push technology and science, with a lens on benefitting all. Imagine what we could accomplish for the mental health epidemic, the climate crisis, for equity, diversity and inclusion. Imagine. … And then let's make it happen. Let's make the pain of 2020 power the future we want. Together, we can do it."
Here are the top five things doctors recommend you can do to protect yourselves and others:
Wash your hands often.
Wear a mask or face covering at all times unless you are at home with housemates or outdoors at a guaranteed two metres' distance from others.
Stay away from crowded places.
Celebrate or gather only with members of your household. Don't invite others into your home.
Prepare for contact tracing if you get COVID-19. Download the COVID Alert app and/or keep track of where you go and when.
"Ontario's doctors will continue to work with Premier Doug Ford and all health-care partners to help stop the spread of this pandemic and vaccinate the people of Ontario safely and efficiently," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "Taking care of our health and health-care system is the fastest way to get our economy back on track."
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Pain Management Therapies That Can Be Used to Help Heal Athletic Injuries
Whether you’re a professional player or just a casual enthusiast, sports injuries can happen. Injuries can range from a pulled muscle or ligament to a more serious condition, like a sprain or fracture. And, while most people go on to heal uneventfully, some may need additional pain management therapies.
If you’re experiencing pain from a sport injury, these therapies may be able to help.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a non-invasive treatment that aims to relieve people of pain and discomfort from an injury they have sustained. It is also used to help you regain dexterity and improve your mobility.
PT can treat a variety of injuries and conditions including:
Tennis elbow
Fractures
Strained muscles
Pulled groins
Shin splints
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
The type of physical therapy needed depends on the mechanism of injury or condition. For example, if you develop arthritis from years of play, your treatment plan would mostly entail strengthening and pain-relieving techniques for the joints through exercise.
Cold Laser Therapy
Laser therapy may seem like an odd choice, but it’s proven to be an effective form of treatment. It’s important to note that it’s not the same laser used in plastic surgery. This type of laser therapy is used specifically for sport injuries.
Cold laser therapy is applied to the injured area to help expedite healing and reduce pain. It can be used for conditions like bursitis, muscle strains, knee pain, back pain, and tendonitis.
Acupuncture Therapy
In some cases, physical therapy may not be enough to reduce painful symptoms. Your doctor may recommend acupuncture as an alternative or in combination with another treatment. Acupuncture is a service that involves a qualified professional inserting tiny needles into the target area to reduce pain. The needles cause minor trauma once they make contact with either the tissue or muscle.
The purpose of acupuncture is to help stimulate the production of endorphins. Endorphins are “feel-good” chemical your body releases when you exercise or feel happy. The goal of acupuncture is to help your body release these chemicals in order to reduce the amount of pain you feel.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care may also be an alternative form of treatment. Chiropractic care involves realignment of your spine, neck, or injured extremity. The goal of chiropractic care is to help relieve symptoms such as inflammation, pain, and discomfort.
When performed by a qualified professional, chiropractic care is effective for many patients. If you choose to undergo chiropractic care, make sure it’s someone your doctor recommends and has appropriate certification.
With proper intervention, sports injuries are treatable. Using these four therapies can help you get back on your feet and back in the game.
The Year of the Quitter: Seven Things to Stop Doing in 2021 Instead of making new resolutions to add (and later discard) in the new year, Steve Cook says we should be focusing on what we want to subtract.
Knoxville, TN (December 2020)—As December winds down, we typically look back over the previous 12 months and contemplate what we intend to do differently in the upcoming year. (Curiously, these resolutions are often the same ones we made and abandoned the year before!). But as 2020 draws to a close—and none too soon, you’ll probably agree—Steve Cook hopes you’ll take a different approach this year.
Rather than adding to your already jam-packed to-do list, look for what you’ve been doing that isn’t serving you well. Then quit doing it.
“Many people found that 2020 stripped away their illusions and showed them the parts of their lives that aren’t working,” says Cook, author of Lifeonaire: An Uncommon Approach to Wealth, Success, and Prosperity (Lifeonaire Promotions, LLC, 2018, ISBN: 978-0-9863228-7-7, $14.99). “Wherever you’re suffering—finances, lifestyle, relationships, spirituality—if you dig down to the root you might find the problem is you’ve bought into a cultural narrative that tells you to hustle, grind, stay busy, and keep pursuing more.”
Not only does blind pursuit of “the American Dream” not lead to happiness, it actively detracts from it. Thus, it stands to reason that we need to slow down, take an honest look at our choices, and stop the proverbial madness.
“We are taught that quitters never win,” says Cook, a life and business coach, speaker, trainer, and author. “Well, sometimes they do!”
In Lifeonaire, Cook challenges us to consider what we really desire out of life. Through this fictional story, he shares how Americans blindly pursue financial wealth—thinking that money will reward them with what they want—and helps us to discover that our heart’s desire is to become more than just a Millionaire…what we really desire is to become a Lifeonaire.
That said, here are seven things you should quit doing in 2021:
QUIT using money as a metric to measure how successful you are. You should not stop doing smart things with your money, but do stop measuring your success on it. Chances are there are many people that have much more than you yet are still not happy. At all.
“One thing I have discovered in my years of coaching wealthy people is that they never seem to have enough,” says Cook. “They measure their success based off of how much they have and consequently they never have enough. This measure itself leads to discontentment.”
QUIT taking on debt. “Most every person that I talk to would like to eliminate all of their debt, however most of those people will go deeper into debt in the following year,” says Cook. “They will convince themselves that they need something enough that it is worth going into debt for.
“Marketers will do whatever they have to in order to get you to buy their products and services; they really don’t care that you want to be debt free,” he adds. “Make it a point to stop borrowing money next year. You will find that there are things that you can actually live without, and it is the first step toward becoming debt free.”
QUIT trying to keep up with the Joneses. It’s a game that you cannot win! Whenever you compare yourself to someone else, you will always find someone that has something bigger, better, prettier, or newer than what you have. It’s a very slippery slope to be on. Instead learn to be grateful for and content with what you have.
“Keeping up with the Joneses often means keeping up with a pretty picture that doesn’t represent what is going on behind closed doors,” notes Cook. “The Joneses oftentimes finance their way to that pretty picture. You don’t see the amount of work they do to maintain it, the stress they are hiding, and the disfunction in their relationships that comes along with the pretty picture.”
QUIT surrounding yourself with people who try too hard to impress you (and others). Most people are too busy worrying about their own lives to really care about you. That is not an indictment of people, instead it suggests that the same insecurities that you may have about how you look, what you have, or how successful you are, may be shared by many. Make this the year that you surround yourself with people who have come to a place of contentment—those who aren’t trying to impress anyone.
QUIT taking financial advice from people who are not better off than you. “It is amazing how often people take advice from others who are doing no better, if not worse than they themselves are,” says Cook. “I’ve seen people get marriage advice from divorced people, and business start-ups getting advice about how to do things from struggling businesses. The only advice you should get from those who are struggling is what NOT to do.”
QUIT working so many hours. Cook insists the most successful people work less, often make more, and love their life. Their business complements instead of competes with their personal life. They experience freedom and independence with their time, finances, and choices.
“Years of conditioning have us believing that hard work means working a lot,” he reflects. “The truth is, short periods of efficient hard work are much more productive than “overdrive” 60-hour work weeks. And if you have young children, long work hours and lots of business travel are especially dangerous. Now is when they need you in their lives. Work will be there later.”
QUIT putting off living life until someday when you have more wealth. Let’s face it, in 2020 many people realized how short life can be. It’s time for you to start experiencing life to the fullest. When you are trying to live life with money as the measure, you will never have enough. You will put off doing the things you could do right now in hopes that someday you have more available to enjoy life. Live it today.
“The Lifeonaire approach is to change the rules of the game of life,” concludes Cook. “Rather than playing life the way the world around us expects us to, we go against the grain and live life to the fullest. If you stop doing the things above, you will begin to have the space and time to do the things in life that really matter the most to you, which will also give you the time to grow and experience life to the fullest.”
# # #
About the Book: Lifeonaire; An Uncommon Approach to Wealth, Success, and Prosperity (Lifeonaire Promotions, LLC, 2018, ISBN: 978-0-9863228-7-7, $14.99) is available from major online booksellers.
How Your Eyesight Affects Your Athletic Performance
No matter the type of sport you’re involved in, your eyesight plays an important role in your athletic performance. If you want to perform to the best of your ability, it’s essential that you have healthy eyes and great vision. The clarity of your vision isn’t the only indicator on the quality of your eyesight. In fact, you may be affected by vision problems that worsen your athletic performance, which is why it’s important to see an optometrist.
The Correlation Between Eyesight and Athletic Performance
Your vision and eyesight can affect many different aspects of your athletic performance, the primary of which include your:
Motor performance
Visual acuity
Information processing
Clarity of sight
Visual memory
Depth perception
Peripheral vision
Keep in mind that different sports have different requirements when it comes to a person’s eyesight. If you play baseball, your hand-eye coordination must be fantastic, which is determined by your visual acuity and concentration levels. Depending on the speed of a pitch, a batter has less than two-tenths of a second to decide whether to swing at a pitch or let it sail by.
For golfers, great eyesight is important for visualizing a shot and seeing the target. Regardless of the specific sport that you play, your eyesight is integral to your performance. If your athletic performance is worsening without any reason for doing so, a vision problem may be hindering your performance.
How to Effectively Improve Your Eyesight
If you visit an optometrist and find that your eyesight is lacking in a couple of areas, there are several steps you can take to improve your eyesight.
Consider Cataract Surgery
A cataract occurs when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, which results in blurry vision. This vision problem mainly develops as a person ages and can continue to worsen until the affected individual loses their eyesight. If your vision is blurry because of a cataract, your athletic performance will almost certainly take a hit.
The only way to get rid of a cataract is to remove it via cataract surgery, after which an artificial lens will be placed in the same location. While side effects may occur after surgery, complications are rare. Cataract surgery may be exactly what you need to restore your vision and improve your athletic performance.
Look Into Sports Eyewear
No matter the state of your vision, you should consider sports glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from corneal abrasions or blunt injuries. These types of protective eye-wear are made from polycarbonate plastic, which is more durable than the material used for standard eyeglasses.
If you obtain polarized lenses, you can get rid of any sun glare while playing sports. In the event that your eyesight is worse than it should be, simple contacts or eyeglasses may improve your eyesight enough to enhance your athletic performance.
Vertex Announces New Drug Submission for Investigational Triple Combination Medicine for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis Has Been Accepted for Priority Review by Health Canada
BOSTON, Dec. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced its New Drug Submission for TRIKAFTA®, Vertex's investigational triple combination medicine, has been accepted for Priority Review by Health Canada for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in people ages 12 years and older.
"We are pleased this submission has been accepted for Priority Review by Health Canada, and we anticipate this accelerated review process will enable access for patients as early as possible," said Carmen Bozic, M.D., Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer at Vertex.
With Priority Review, the conventional review timeline of 300 days is reduced to 180 days. The expected approval target by Health Canada is in the first half of 2021.
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting approximately 75,000 people worldwide. CF is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, GI tract, sinuses, sweat glands, pancreas and reproductive tract. CF is caused by a defective and/or missing cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein resulting from certain mutations in the CFTR gene. Children must inherit two defective CFTR genes — one from each parent — to have CF. While there are many different types of CFTR mutations that can cause the disease, the vast majority of all people with CF have at least one F508del mutation. These mutations, which can be determined by a genetic test, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working and/or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The defective function and/or absence of CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cells in a number of organs. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage in many patients that eventually leads to death. The median age of death is in the early 30s.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 11 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and a best place to work for LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com
Special Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements made by Carmen Bozic in this press release, including expectations for patient access to our medicine, and statements regarding the anticipated timing of the expected approval target by Health Canada. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that the New Drug Submission to Health Canada may not be approved in the expected timeline, or at all, that data from the company's development programs may not support registration or further development of its compounds due to safety, efficacy or other reasons, and other risks listed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Vertex's most recent annual report and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and available through the company's website at www.vrtx.com. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.
(VRTX-GEN)
SOURCE Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc.
Hey Guys! Happy Sunday! Coming at you today with a quick blog. Some of you may not know but I have been blogging for a long time. A few years ago - ok maybe more than a few I shyed away from it to focus on myself, coaching track, then competing. I kept this blog active with press releases and the odd review. I use to have the blog called aliciabellelite
Then I switched it over to trainitright - I did transfer a lot of the blogs over here so I wouldn't lose the content. Im sure its deeply buried by now though lol.
Anyway - I want to be more active in content in 2021. So I am starting now.
I feel like. the more I share across different plantforms the more I can inspire, motivate and help others.
Also I VLOG! I have an active vlog on YouTube! I have been quite consistent at documenting my journey! I would love for you all to subscribe, share, like, comment and get to know me!
*please note it will be emailed to you within 24 hours of purchase and there is a chance it will go to your spams make sure to check there within 24 hours if you do not see it in your mailbox*
HAPPY HOLIDAYS — SURPRISE!
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Hd.muscle has extended their 12 days of Holiday sales SITE WIDE.
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You can now stock up on multiple HD products ALL on sale NOW before they sell out!!!!
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Everything is 10-25% off on our .COM, .CA and .EU webstore.
Thank you to assuage for sending me over a new seat protector!
This is a great gift for any one who is traveling during this unprecedented time!
This ultra cozy seat protector is an affordable way to make sure you are protected from germs.
I am not doing any traveling right now but I will definitely be using it when I do. Especially flying.
It is designed to fit most seats as well!
Washable Fleece in the Ultra Cozy
We wanted to make sure the Ultra Cozy is made out of a material that can be easily and effectively machine washed. Laundering garments can be a simple and powerful way to limit the spread of Covid-19.
And if you dont like blue it also comes in pink!
I was recently sent two Tru47 Masks and also their moisture rich soap and hand and body lotion.
Tru47:
What’s upfront is what we stand for. TRU47® is a company founded on integrity, dedicated to quality and motivated by the real deal, staying TRU to our nature in everything we do.
The 47 in our name honors one of nature’s most noble elements, silver, known in scientific circles as Ag47, and renowned for its naturally effective antibacterial properties. From spritzes and sprays to Stellarcleenz wipes and wraps, our family of products are inspired with your health in mind. And silver is the common thread that weaves them all together.
TRU47® Putting the power of nature’s first true antimicrobial to work for you.
First impression of the masks is that they are light weight. But after wearing them for a few days my favourite part about them is how breathable they are! They are so much better than most masks for breathing! I absolutely love that!
They are also antimacrobial which is amazing!
The two masks that they sent me are:
You can find out more about the masks via their site:
For me they are a 10/10 based on all of the masks I have tried. They would be my first recommendation.
About the brand:
All TRU47 offerings are made of the highest quality 99.99% pure ionically bathed silver, plated on to superior ripstop nylon. (It is not the inferior coated particle process known as nanotechnology).
Silver is scientifically proven to be a powerful anti-microbial. Innovative new styles additionally feature 99.99% pure Copper outer layers Copper is a known anti-viral deterrent, providing an extra layer preferable by some in highly populated environments.
Each TRU47 silver face mask is not N95, medical, or surgical coverings. Further, they are not CDC approved to protect against COVID-19 virus. Rather, they are designed with care and style to provide face coverage while inside or outdoors when social distancing.
All are detailed for comfortable wear and are breathable making them useable for longer wear. A core benefit is that every style is re-useable without washing repeatedly, making them very cost-effective and environmentally thoughtful.
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