6 tips to boost your immune system amid coronavirus, flu fears
By: Fresh n' Lean, the nation's #1 organic meal delivery service
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Food is great medicine for anyone trying to ward off the flu and Coronavirus.
While much of the conversation about safety has focused on washing your hands for 20 seconds, avoiding handshakes, and resisting the urge to touch your face, another key step to staying healthy involves strengthening your immune system.
Immune health is bolstered by smart lifestyle choices and the right diet — a year-round pursuit that allows our body the chance to defend itself no matter what we face.
“We often think of nutrition and how to support the immune system when it comes to the flu season, but our body’s defense systems operate every second of every day, fighting off foreign bacteria, viruses and other invaders, and keeping us healthy. Our goal should be to think of this daily, how best to support our bodies proper metabolic function,” said Randy Evans, MS, RD, LD, a registered dietician consultant with Fresh n' Lean.
Here are six tips to boosting your immune system.
Take care of yourself
Getting shuteye and taking the time to de-stress could help you stay healthy.
Lifestyle choices such as sleep and stress management are vital to the proper function of your immune system.
Stress hasn’t been so easy lately. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it anxiety and fear. Stock markets tumbled, sports leagues suspended operations, cultural events and large gatherings were canceled, and our way of life began to shift.
Breathing exercises, meditation or a jog could help you shed some stress, helping you maintain positivity and maintain your immune health.
Eat the rainbow
Focus on the colors in your diet — green kale and cucumber, orange sweet potatoes and carrots, purples and blue hues of plums and blueberries.
“The colors in healthy foods are actually a part of the plant’s immune system, so eating the rainbow in your diet boosts your phytonutrient intake and boosts nutrients to help support your immune function,” Evans said.
Eating whole foods reduces the intake of chemicals, additives and artificial sweeteners often found in processed foods, improving the body’s detox system.
Beyond veggies and fruits, healthy fats — those found in extra virgin, organic, and cold-pressed coconut or olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and range-fed or wild-caught animal products — are also a smart addition for meals and snacks.
Eat your medicine
Nutraceuticals represent the perfect balance of food and medicine — they provide nourishment as well as medical benefit.
Key nutraceuticals highlighted in the study include:
Ferulic acid
Lipoic acid
Spirulina
N-Acetylcysteine
Selenium
Glucosamine
Zinc
Yeast Beta-Glucan
Elderberry
The nutrients are often found to be low or very low in unhealthy patients, Evans said, meaning the body is weak and unable to respond to viral threats.
Follow your gut
The best measure of your immune health can be found in your gut bacteria.
All of the bacteria in your body makes up your microbiome. The right types of food — such as leafy greens and lean proteins — can promote the growth of good bacteria, or microflora, in our systems and reduce inflammation.
The wrong types of foods, such as too much sugar, can fuel inflammation, making you more susceptible to disease and impacting hormone balance.
We often only focus on our gastrointestinal tract when we’re having issues, but most of our immune system cells (70-80%) are located in our gastrointestinal tract.
Soak up some sun
Make sure to stay on the sunny side.
Vitamin D — which is produced when the skin receives sunlight, and is also found in fresh fish and eggs — has many important functions in the body, including bolstering bone and overall health.
“It’s actually more of a hormone than a vitamin in function,” Evans said. “Research suggests Vitamin D has both antimicrobial and antiviral potential in the body. The most potent impact is shown when Vitamin D levels are boosted when found low.”
The most effective way of measuring the body’s Vitamin D levels is through the amount of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood, and experts recommend a concentration of 50 nanomoles per liter.
Stay hydrated
Water is the fuel that triggers the body’s metabolic processes, making H20 especially important for our immune health.
The goal: drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water. You may need more water than that if you’re active, and anyone who’s been told they’re fluid-restricted should discuss hydration with their doctor.
Dehydration, meanwhile, can invite a wide range of issues, including afternoon fatigue, headaches and muscle cramps.
It’s important to be mindful of staying hydrated if you drink alcohol. Be sure to trade one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume, and be sure to drink water before and after to keep your body in balance. Your boosted immune system and diminished hangover will thank you the next
OMA Supports Increased Social Distancing Measures and the Allocation of Additional Funds
TORONTO, March 17, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) strongly supports the government's actions to increase social distancing with the closure of bars and restaurants as well as making additional funds available for screening, protective equipment, and assessment centres.
"We are pleased that the government has allocated $50 million for personal protective equipment. In order to keep everyone safe, we must ensure that frontline health care workers stay well," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA President. "Unfortunately, health care workers often bear the brunt when there is an outbreak such as this one."
The OMA continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that we can get adequate supplies of personal protective equipment for doctors and other frontline health care workers.
We are also supportive of the funding for additional doctors, nurses, personal support workers, additional capacity in hospitals, additional testing and assessment centres.
We know that social distancing and good handwashing hygiene are the most important things that we can do to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19. The mandatory closure of bars, restaurants and other non-essential public places is a challenging but necessary step in keeping people safe.
"We would encourage people to also consider their mental health at this difficult time. It's important to note that social distancing does not mean social isolation," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA President. "We must stay in touch with each other - family, friends and colleagues. Reach out and call, or email, or skype – technology provides many options to keep in touch."
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
With new contracts drying up, India’s IT services industry should brace for challenging times ahead, says GlobalData
The actual impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the India’s IT services industry is now coming to the fore, with the number of new contract signings showing a consecutive decline over the past couple of months. While the extent of the drying-up of contracts will depend on how long the outbreak ultimately lasts, the Indian IT services industry should prepare itself for challenging times ahead, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The Indian IT services industry has been enduring challenges for a while now–weathering fears of an impending slowdown and the lingering trade war tensions. However, the recent spread of the outbreak to several countries in Europe and the US will pose a serious challenge as both the regions have been critical for almost all IT services vendors in India.
GlobalData’s IT contracts database, which tracks the publicly announced IT contracts, reveals that the number of IT services contracts signed in February 2020 have shown a monthly decline of 33%. Compared to February 2019, this is an annual decline of 37%. Even in January 2020, the number of IT services contracts were down 15% from the month before.
Nishant Singh, Head of Technology and Telecoms Data at GlobalData, says: “The decrease in the new contract signings for the past two months are from a period when the coronavirus outbreak had been primarily restricted to China and Iran. Given the current spread of the outbreak, we expect fresh contracts to become even scarcer over the next few months.”
Depending on how long the outbreak lasts, this could indeed become a serious problem for the IT services sector. Typically, the services industry has a bit of a cushion owing to the contracts in the pipeline. However, the coronavirus outbreak is fundamentally challenging the way the IT services firms function. With various businesses trying to contain the epidemic by restricting the movement of personnel, it will also prove to be difficult for the services industry to deliver services on-site, which will make it difficult to execute large and complex contracts.
Indeed, some Indian IT services firms are now likening the impact of the coronavirus impact to that of the 2008 recession, and have expressed concerns that the outbreak could affect their financials; although, the implication of the outbreak will probably manifest itself over the next few quarterly earnings. Industries like travel and tourism, manufacturing and retail have been strongly affected by the outbreak, and IT services vendors having significant exposure to these verticals could find it challenging to have a healthy order book.
Singh concludes: “The next fiscal will be very challenging for the Indian IT services industry as the discretionary spending of clients will be lower as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and new projects are likely to be postponed until the outbreak is contained to some extent. While the Indian IT services industry has proven itself to be resilient time and again, in coronavirus, the industry will face it’s most difficult challenge yet.”
OCC and OMA Support Protecting Workers and Waiving Sick Notes during COVID-19
TORONTO, March 16, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) welcome and applaud the provincial government's announcement introducing legislation that will eliminate the requirement to provide sick notes during COVID-19.
"Public health and safety are priorities for us all. The Ontario government's announcement today to introduce legislation to support employees taking time off for self-isolation or quarantine, without a sick note, is a step in the right direction to ensure workers are protected," said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. "The federal government has already announced proposing changes and flexibility around extending unemployment insurance and we look forward to further details that should cover these workers," he stated.
The OMA and the OCC appreciate the business community's support in protecting both their employees' jobs and their health.
"As the OMA has long advocated, sick notes are not the best use of health system resources. Doctors cannot provide notes proving that a patient is COVID-19 free without conducting an assessment and testing. Devoting resources to testing, for the purpose of providing a note to confirm that a person does not have COVID-19, takes resources away from caring with patients who do have it, or at risk of developing it. We really welcome today's announcement that will help release this burden on doctors to provide sick notes for their patients," added Dr. Sohail Gandhi, President of the Ontario Medical Association.
The OCC and OMA strongly recommend all workers follow the Ministry's of Health's advice to first contact Telehealth Ontario if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Going to a physician's office may put them and other patients at risk. It's important to call ahead and get screened. Completing the province's self-assessment tool will also help patients and physicians determine the best course of care: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-self-assessment
Both the OMA and OCC support the decisions of the federal and provincial governments, other organizations and individuals who are taking steps to implement or voluntarily practice social distancing preventing the further spread of COVID-19. We will continue to monitor and assess new developments pertaining to COVID-19 closely and work with our members, partners, and all levels of government to provide support to Ontario business and Ontario's doctors.
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.
About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan voice of Ontario business. The OCC's mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen's Park on behalf of its network's diverse 60,000 members.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
New Study: Brain Exercises Drive Gains in Pre-Dementia Patients
(SAN FRANCISCO – March 16, 2020) A newly published imaging study in NeuroImage from researchers at the University of Rochester has shown that brain training drove improvements in several brain systems that typically degenerate on the path toward dementia among patients with a pre-dementia diagnosis. The brain training used in the study was a set of exercises from BrainHQ, the brain training app made by Posit Science.
The study was among patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). While patients with aMCI can return to normal cognition, they are considered to be among the highest risk for progression to dementia (for example, a 2009 study found 48.7% progressed to Alzheimer’s within 30 months of their aMCI diagnosis).
In this randomized controlled trial, 84 aMCI patients were randomized into an intervention group, which trained on the five exercises found in BrainHQ’s “Focus on Visual Processing”course, and an active control group, which trained on computerized games (including Solitaire and Sudoku). Participants in each group were encouraged to train for six weeks, completing four one-hour sessions each week.
All patients were tested at baseline, immediately after training, and six months later, using a cognitive assessment, cognitive-task and resting ECG, and resting fMRI.
Overall, the BrainHQ group showed significant gains across a wide variety of measures, including physical health (heart rate variability), cognition (speed and attention), and neurological health (brain connectivity in networks governing behavior, thought, and successful adaptation to stress).
The fMRI data showed the intervention group had significantly greater connectivity across multiple cognitive networks that are susceptible to degeneration from dementia. Greater connectivity is associated with greater efficiency in cognitive processing.
“There’s a big difference between brain exercises designed to improve cognitive and real-world function and keeping your brain busy with ordinary brain games,” said Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science. “This research shows why that’s the case – exercises in BrainHQ improved connectivity across multiple regions, including networks that govern thinking and planning (the Central Executive Network), detecting and filtering important events (the Salience Network), and rapidly changing plans (Frontal Parietal Network). Ordinary brain games don’t do that.”
The BrainHQ intervention group also showed significant improvement (as compared to the control) in vagal control of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) — through which the brain regulates other organs and bodily processes. A stronger ANS is associated with a patient’s ability to adapt to the stressors of aging and disease.
Certain training effects were durable, with connectivity gains sustained six months after training. Scientists hypothesize such long-lasting effects make the brain more resilient to the system-wide degeneration common in dementia.
“This is the seventh journal article from independent researchers showing our training can yield positive results for people with MCI or sub-clinical dementia,” noted Dr. Mahncke. “We are honored to be working with researchers, health insurers, and community-based organizations to get this technology into the hands of people it can help – which, increasingly, looks like practically everyone.”
More than 100 published studies of the exercises in BrainHQ have shown benefits, including gains in standard measures of cognition (attention, speed, memory, executive function, social cognition), in standard measures of quality of life (mood, confidence and control, managing stress, health-related quality of life) and in real world activities (gait, balance, driving, everyday cognition, maintaining independence). BrainHQ is now offered, without charge, as a benefit by leading national and 5-star Medicare Advantage plans; by the Department of Defense to every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine; and by hundreds of clinics, libraries, and communities. Consumers can also try BrainHQ for free at http://www.brainhq.com.
GoodLife and Fit4Less to temporarily close all locations across Canada
LONDON, ON, March 16, 2020 /CNW/ - Effective Immediately, all GoodLife and Fit4Less locations across Canada will be closing until further notice to help protect Members and Associates from the threat of COVID-19. This decision was based on guidance from public health experts. GoodLife and Fit4Less clubs will reopen with it is safe to do so, based on direction from local authorities.
"This was an extremely difficult decision, but our focus is on the health of our Members and Associates and community," said David 'Patch' Patchell-Evans, Founder and CEO, GoodLife Fitness. "This is an unprecedented situation for our communities that requires a decisive and proactive response but we know this is the right thing to do. GoodLife has served and supported our Members and Associates for more than 40 years and we're committed to finding new ways to do so during this challenging time."
Click here to read a message from Patch to all Members.
All Member payments are being suspended as of Tuesday March 17 and any paid-in-full Memberships will be put on freeze until further notice and expiry dates will be extended accordingly.
While many Associates will be temporarily laid off while operations are closed, GoodLife has committed to paying all Associates for two weeks to help lessen the financial burden. GoodLife and Fit4Less look forward welcoming back all of our Associates when normal operations resume.
Proudly Canadian since 1979, GoodLife is the largest group of fitness club chains in Canada and the fourth largest overall in the world. With almost 500 Clubs from coast-to-coast, over 12,000 employees and more than 1.5 million members, GoodLife is helping to transform the health and fitness of 1 in 25 Canadians every day. The GoodLife group of clubs includes: GoodLife Fitness, Fit4Less, and ÉconoFitness.
SOURCE GoodLife Fitness
Fifth of consumers trying to lose weight are concerned about disease, says GlobalData
Widespread media coverage of the high and growing prevalence of overweight or obese individuals globally has heightened awareness of weight management. As a result, more than *one fifth of consumers trying to lose weight are concerned about related diseases and conditions such as high or low blood pressure, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, ‘TrendSights Analysis: Weight Management’, reveals that the two main drivers of weight management are an image-conscious visual culture that is fueling the desire to have an attractive body shape, and health concerns as more consumers become aware of the negative health implications of obesity and being overweight.
Nidhi Chauhan, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: "Consumers generally believe in the notion of an 'ideal weight', and they aspire to attain that weight using different methods of lifestyle management, including exercise. GlobalData's research confirms that around **88% of consumers exercise to look or feel good."
Key drivers of weight management
Ensuring better health in later life makes consumers more conscious of their current physical condition and personal image, which is associated with success, opportunity and wellbeing. People of all ages are more proactively addressing their health by curbing excessive indulgences (e.g. alcohol and smoking), improving their diets and undertaking physical activity.
Consumers are also seeking products and services that help them reduce the risk factors for disease and manage or improve health conditions that they already suffer from. Digital lifestyles are enabling consumers to more confidently embrace informational tools and make more health-driven choices.
Chauhan added: "With an increasing consumer focus on health and growing obesity among young children in particular, brands can play a vital role in creating more healthy choices for consumers by exploring the use of healthier ingredients while at the same time, maintaining a product's taste profile."
Consumers that are trying to lose weight are seeking alternatives to traditional carbohydrates and sugar. GlobalData’s Q4 2017 global consumer survey reveals that 22% of respondents found "naturally sweetened" and 20% found "free from artificial sweeteners" the most appealing claims when choosing a food or drink product. This is translating into more consumer demand for fresh ingredients and natural food and drink products.
Chauhan continues: "Brands should focus on using natural ingredients as much as possible, as they are viewed more favorably and appeal more to consumers. However these ingredients must deliver the same taste profile because consumers will not sacrifice taste for a healthier option."
Brand innovation
There are a number of implications for brand innovation here. Brands should align with the demand for more holistic 'back to basic' approaches to weight loss by using clean labels, as well as incorporating high quality ingredients with a balanced combination of food groups in product categories such as ready meals and snacks.
New product formulation should also utilise satiety-enhancing, easily recognized ingredients such as oats to provide "fuller for longer" options so that consumers can make informed choices.
Chauhan adds: "It is important when considering the weight management trend that fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands are continually looking for new ways to stimulate demand and encourage product trial with a movement away from traditional artificial sweeteners and towards 'low-calorie' or 'naturally sweetened' alternatives, which are viewed more favourably by consumers."
The report looks at addressing the evolving needs of weight-conscious consumers.With an increasing consumer focus on health and growing obesity among young children in particular, brands can play a vital role in exploring the use of healthier ingredients in products while maintaining the taste. The report explores the trend's relevance in different sectors and highlights product examples to show how innovation can help meet the growing demand from consumers.
About GlobalData
4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors. PR8878
TORONTO, March 16, 2020 CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: MDRX) announced today that Allscripts Sunrise™ has achieved Infoway certification under the 2017 Edition Release 2 of pre-implementation certification requirements.
"We congratulate Allscripts for achieving Infoway certification as an ambulatory electronic medical record (aEMR), approved for deployment at customer sites, with interoperability capabilities with laboratory and clinical documents," said Mark Nenadovic, Senior Director, Programs & Alliances, Infoway. "This achievement ensures that the company's solution conforms to the national and international standards for privacy, security and interoperability."
Used by healthcare organizations across Canada and around the globe, Sunrise is an integrated electronic health record that connects all aspects of care, including acute, ambulatory, surgical, pharmacy, radiology and laboratory services. Built to enable efficient and safe care, Sunrise is a clinician-friendly, evidence-based single platform with integrated analytics that helps deliver true personalized care. Sunrise supports all core care venues across the enterprise by delivering a single patient record, and features patient-centric capabilities that increase access and convenience.
"Allscripts is proud to have achieved Infoway certification for our Sunrise platform and conformity to national and international standards for privacy, security and interoperability," said John Lee-Bartlett, Country Director, Allscripts. "It underscores our continued commitment to Canada and ensures that we meet the highest standards for our healthcare solutions."
Infoway certification provides assurance that digital health software complies with specified requirements and standards, which helps ensure the protection of personal health information. The 2017 Edition requirements build upon Infoway's original certification requirements and are harmonized to increase alignment between Infoway, provincial requirements and international standards, and to reduce testing redundancies.
About Allscripts
Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) is a leader in healthcare information technology solutions that advance clinical, financial and operational results. Our innovative solutions connect people, places and data across an Open, Connected Community of Health™. Connectivity empowers caregivers and consumers to make better decisions, delivering better care for healthier populations. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com, Twitter, YouTubeand It Takes A Community: The Allscripts Blog.
About Canada Health Infoway
Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Visit www.infoway.ca.
Media Inquiries
Karen Schmidt Director, Corporate/Internal Communications Canada Health Infoway 416.595.3167 Email Us (Twitter button) Follow @Infoway
Maple Launches COVID-19 Online Screening Program Covered by OHIP in Ontario and Free Virtual Clinic Platform for Doctors
TORONTO, March 16, 2020 /CNW/ - Starting Tuesday, March 17, Maple, a leading virtual care platform in Canada, will provide OHIP covered online coronavirus (COVID-19) screenings with a live physician to all Ontario residents. To support physicians during the outbreak, the company will also provide its virtual clinic software to all Ontario and BC physicians free of charge, to ensure safe and stable healthcare access for their patients.
The company's online COVID-19 screening program, which will be available at getmaple.ca, enables people in Ontario with a valid OHIP card to talk to a doctor through audio or video chat about their symptoms and receive guidance on whether they need testing or emergency care. The service is expected to alleviate pressure on over burdened emergency rooms, and allow patients to safely receive screening from the comfort of their homes. After each screening visit, patients will be able to fax a summary of their results to their family physician or a local screening centre for next steps. Covered online medical visits are also available in BC for those with a valid BC Services Card.
Ontario and BC are the only provinces that currently allow doctors to see patients in this way under provincial health plans. While BC has allowed physicians to bill for healthcare consultations via video for some time, Ontario activated temporary billing codes on Friday to allow for telephone and video screening visits during the coronavirus outbreak.
"Connecting concerned patients, who are receiving conflicting information from every angle, with licensed Canadian doctors from the safety of their homes is simply the right thing to do," says Dr. Brett Belchetz, CEO and Co-Founder of Maple and a practicing ER physician. "We're already seeing a strong increase in the need for virtual health services across the country. We hope that in the coming weeks, other provincial governments will follow Ontario's example and open billing codes to allow video or telephone programs to expand across the country. It's the best way to ensure safe access to healthcare in this time of self-isolation and social distancing."
During the outbreak, the public-facing Maple platform will continue to operate 24/7 as normal across Canada, including in Ontario and BC, offering online medical visits via instant message, video, and phone. Maple's doctors are committed to maintaining their prompt response times across all provinces. This will help ensure that non-COVID-19 healthcare needs can be safely addressed throughout the outbreak.
Maple's virtual clinic platform, which is being offered to all Ontario and BC doctors free of charge during this time, will allow physicians across both provinces to rapidly launch virtual care capabilities from their home, office, or clinic. This means they'll be able to see their current patients online for concerns like chronic condition management, infections, minor injuries and much more, rather than having patients needlessly travel to the doctor's office where they might be exposed to a risk of infection. It will also help to reduce the capacity strain caused by COVID-19 screenings, which can be done swiftly via the virtual platform. With secure messaging, audio, and video chat available through the platform, doctors can provide advice, diagnoses, and prescriptions for a wide variety of conditions, all while maintaining robust medical records to support continuity of care for their patients.
About Maple Maple is a technology platform that tackles some of the world's most meaningful issues in healthcare, starting with timely and convenient access to doctors and other healthcare providers including dermatologists, psychiatrists, and oncology navigation experts. It allows patients to connect directly with doctors and specialists for medical care in minutes from their smartphone or computer 24/7, and also provides custom technology solutions for hospitals and clinics seeking to advance their delivery of care. Learn more at getmaple.ca.
SOURCE Maple.
STATEMENT - OMA Encourages Social Distancing to Slow COVID-19 and Protect Patients and Frontline Health Care Workers
TORONTO, March 14, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is working closely with the Ministry of Health and other health care providers to contain the virus, protect patients and protect doctors. The situation has now evolved to the point where limiting public interactions, more commonly known as social distancing, is necessary.
"Social distancing is key to slowing the spread. It will help minimize the impact of the spreading virus and flatten the curve, which essentially means a longer, slower rise in numbers of patients affected," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA President.
The OMA is leading by example. Effective immediately the OMA is encouraging Ontario's doctors to refrain from non-essential, in-person meetings and travel outside of Canada. The OMA is also postponing face-to-face meetings and events involving doctors. Where necessary, virtual meetings will be held instead. OMA staff, working at 150 Bloor Street West, Toronto, will be working remotely. This is consistent with the OMA's business continuity plan and measures many public institutions are taking to facilitate social distancing.
"We have an ethical duty to avoid a surge in COVID-19 cases that would exceed the capacity of the health-care system to accommodate. We also have a duty to protect our frontline health care workers, who face a greater risk of getting COVID-19. Social distancing will not only help patients, and the public, it will help protect our frontline health care workers so they can continue to focus on the patients who need their care, and keep the rest of us healthy," added Dr. Gandhi.
The OMA supports the decisions of the federal and provincial governments, other organizations and individuals who are taking steps to implement or voluntarily practice social distancing. As Premier Ford outlined in his March 13, 2020 release, preventing the further spread of COVID-19 calls for a strong, unified response.
We encourage the public to follow the Public Health Agency of Canada's advice and exercise prudent social distancing by avoiding public gatherings and practicing good health hygiene. For a comprehensive guideline click here.
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
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