The days are getting longer, the beautiful weather is finally here, and flowers and trees are in bloom everywhere you look. After a long, dark Winter there isn’t anything more appealing than getting outside and taking on the great outdoors. Ahh, Spring! Does it come with any downfalls at all? It does. Ticks! Ticks are commonly found in wooded and … Read More
Earth Day 2022: Food for Thought
It’s EARTH DAY! Although it is important for us as Earthlings to consider the impact we are making on the world around us each and every day, April 22nd marks the official calendar date where we can come together to celebrate the environment and highlight ways (both big and small) that we can collaborate in an effort to protect our … Read More
COVID-19: Making Decisions When the Choice is Yours
Due to the ease of some restrictions and removal of others all together, when it comes to protecting you and those around you from COVID-19, individual choices around things like masks and social gatherings are more important than ever before. As COVID-19 spreads in Chatham-Kent, we are no longer being told what we must do, but rather need to focus … Read More
1st Ever Canadian Public Health Week
First Ever Canadian Public Health Week The Canadian Public Health Association’s inaugural Canadian Public Health Week takes place this week. While the COVID-19 pandemic helped to shine a light on who and what public health is, there really is much more to what we do than mass vaccination campaigns and managing outbreaks. Public health units, like CK Public Health, have long … Read More
What’s the Deal with the 3rd Dose?
With so many vaccinated and unvaccinated people being infected by COVID-19 lately, you’ve probably questioned the need for a 3rd dose or “booster” shot, at all. If you’re likely going to get the virus anyways, why go through the hassle of attending a clinic and getting another poke in the arm? Well, this is what we know, for sure: Two … Read More
The Pfizer Safety Report: A Deeper Look
If you have spent any amount of time online lately, you may have noticed a “Pfizer Safety Report” floating around the internet, specifically on social media. Although there isn’t anything particularly ‘new’ or ‘scary’ about the document itself, the way that it has been misrepresented has it reading more like a tale from the Cryptkeeper than an actual Safety Report … Read More
Canada’s 1st Ever Safe Sleep Week
Last week we celebrated Canada’s first ever “Safe Sleep Week”. We wanted to recap the week with 8 great tips that will help to reduce the risk of accidental deaths and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in infants. To practice safe sleep with your infant, ensure that you are doing the following: • Breastfeed your baby* — this has been … Read More
Navigating Changing Public Health Measures with Kindness.
As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, it is important to remember that everyone will be walking towards recovery at their own pace, for their own reasons. Let’s be kind and considerate to others as they navigate what feels right to them. As with everything related to the pandemic, things change quickly, often due to more information becoming available. People’s feelings … Read More
Booster Doses: You Have Questions, We Have Answers
You’ve heard the word booster get talked about a lot lately and are probably wondering what it all means. You got vaccinated, so why are you being asked to go get another dose? What is a booster dose exactly, and why should you be getting one? What is a COVID-19 booster dose and why do I need it? Over time … Read More
Facing Omicron: What’s Changed, What’s the Same and What Do I Need to Do Now?
Omicron is here and it is spreading fast. With this variant being so contagious, it is causing a huge rise in cases. These rising numbers are putting our local hospital at risk. As numbers rise, we must do all that we can to stop the spread of Omicron. In the fight against Omicron, no single action is perfect. The … Read More
Navigating Changes to Case and Contact Management
Recently, the Province of Ontario changed how public health units will contact people who test positive for COVID-19. This change is in response to rising cases across the province and will focus on protecting members of our community that are in high-risk settings like schools, retirement homes, other congregate living settings, and acute healthcare settings. With the change, there is … Read More
Omicron: Fact Check
There is a myth going around that Omicron is mild. We need to address this myth now. The fact is Omicron is not mild. We know this because: For every 100 new Omicron infections that happen, it will create 332 new (or secondary) infections. Compared to other variants, 100 new infections create 127 other infections. The doubling time, which … Read More