With the second wave of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially important to understand that no supplement, diet, or other lifestyle modification other than social distancing, and proper hygiene practices can protect you from COVID-19.
Super Food-Powerful Immunity Boosters
The lateral flow tests, taken every day for a week, could replace 10-day quarantines (Picture: PA) People may soon not have to self-isolate after coming into close contact with someone with Covid. A new study, backed by the Government, is trialling the use of daily lateral flow tests for seven days, instead of the 10 days of quarantine currently required. The rapid tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have had a positive Covid contact. They will be able to go about their lives as before, as long as the results are negative. The trial across England may provide greater evidence to reduce the length of time contacts of positive cases need to isolate, under efforts to restart social lives and reopen the economy. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘This new pilot could help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation for people who are contacts of positive Covid-19 cases, and one that would allow people to carry on going to work and living their lives.’ Beginning on May 9, close contacts of people with Covid will be contacted by phone and sent seven days of rapid tests if they wish to participate in the study. They will have to test themselves every morning for seven days and will be exempt from the legal requirement to quarantine at home every day they test negative, as long as they do not exhibit symptoms. The lateral flow tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people (Picture: Getty) Professor Isabel Oliver, from Public Health, said the study will be key to informing how ‘the approach to testing might evolve’. ‘This study will help to determine whether we can deploy daily testing for contacts to potentially reduce the need for self-isolation, while still ensuring that chains of transmission are stopped,’ she said. ‘Contacts of cases are at higher risk of infection so testing them is a very effective way of preventing further spread.’ A document for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) released on Friday detailed an earlier pilot of 1,370 close contacts using testing as an alternative to isolation. Running between December and January, the uptake of daily testing was 62%, but the group found that this was lower among people from ethnic minority groups. ‘Overall, our data suggested that daily testing has the potential to be a feasible and acceptable alternative to self-isolation,’ the researchers said. ‘However, there is a need to develop materials and campaigns to explain the rationale and procedures and address concerns, especially among BAME communities.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.
Ten-day quarantines for people exposed to Covid could be scrapped
Health Minister Patty Hajdu says she remains “laser focused” on stopping community transmission of COVID-19, despite calls for tougher border measures that could slow the entry of more transmissible variants. Speaking to Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block Sunday, Hajdu pushed back on suggestions that further restricting travel or lengthening the quarantine period for travellers could also have an impact on community transmission. “People are getting sick at work, they’re getting sick in crowded housing settings, they’re getting sick in the community,” she said. “And that community transmission is where we need to stay laser focused, because when we bring down cases of COVID in the community, that’s when we start to see the resumption of more normal Canadian life.” [readmore label=”Read more: ” link=”https://globalnews.ca/news/7822720/ontario-covid-19-land-border-crossings/” /] Ontario on Friday called on the federal government to impose mandatory three-day quarantines in hotels for travellers entering Canada at land crossings. The rule is currently only in place for air travellers, who must then complete their 14-day quarantine at home. The province says there are reports of international travellers booking return flights into nearby American airports, taking a taxi to a United States-Canada land crossing, and walking or driving across the border. The issue has also been raised in British Columbia. On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford used his time at the First Minister’s Meeting to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to tighten both international and provincial borders. But Hajdu said Canada already has “some of the strictest measures in the world” at its borders, and suggested Ford could do more himself to strengthen the federal rules by empowering local and provincial police to do more enforcement. “I would say that if the premier has any concerns about any of those travelers abiding by the requirements, that he has the tools that he could use to enforce the Quarantine Act, along with the measures that we’ve put into place at the federal level,” she said. [tp_video id=7823472] Hajdu rejected suggestions to increase the amount of time air travellers have to spend in hotels, saying the three days was the necessary time needed for a COVID-19 test to be returned. Other countries like Australia and New Zealand require travellers to spend the entire 14-day quarantine period at a federally-monitored facility. The minister also said rapid testing essential workers who cross the U.S. border into Canada has so far proven to be unnecessary, pointing to pilot programs that found less than 0.3 per cent infection rates. “It’s something that would be designed with provinces, with territories, and indeed with the workers and the employers themselves so that we can make sure that what we were adding had value,” she said. [readmore label=”Read more: ” link=”https://globalnews.ca/news/7821572/desperate-ford-trudeau-first-ministers-meeting-shut-the-borders/” /] Prioritizing those workers for vaccinations, including commercial truck drivers, would also be up to the provinces and territories, she added. Provincial and federal health officials have said multiple variants of the coronavirus that were originally identified in other countries now make up a majority of new COVID-19 cases in Canada, and are worried a fourth wave of the pandemic is imminent. As of April 29, at least 106,800 cases of the more contagious and deadly variants of concern had been reported across the country, a majority of which are the B.1.1.7 variant first discovered in the U.K. There is now growing concern about the so-called “double mutation” variant B.1.617 that was initially found in India, which is now seeing 400,000 new cases and thousands of deaths per day. [readmore label=”Read more: ” link=”https://globalnews.ca/news/7784645/canada-travel-ban-covid-india-pakistan/” /] The spread of the variants has led to fears that they could be more resistant to existing vaccines. While clinical trials have shown the shots are largely effective, they also underline the need for the full two-dose regimen — a point underlined by a new U.K. study led by Imperial College, which found a high risk of infection with just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Hajdu said vaccination remains the path out of the pandemic, noting that vaccine deliveries will continue to ramp up in the coming weeks from all four manufacturers approved in Canada. “We can see the finish line as Canadians,” she said. “So we need to stay focused on taking the vaccine when it’s our turn, being part of that movement (towards) a more normal life.”
Hajdu ‘laser focused’ on community COVID-19 spread amid calls for tougher borders
If you’re looking for a new supplement to try that could potentially help with everything from heart health to vaginal dryness, look no further than sea buckthorn oil. It’s been a go-to treatment in certain areas of the world for centuries — and for good reason. What is sea buckthorn oil? Sea buckthorn oil, which is also sometimes called sea buckthorn seed oil, comes from the sea buckthorn plant that grows in higher-altitude regions of the Himalayas in Asia. It’s been part of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicinal practices for thousands of years, and it’s even called the “holy fruit” in some cultures. It’s worked hard to earn that title! Sea buckthorn oil is chock full of a number of incredible vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including magnesium, calcium, iron, folate, vitamin C, and several B vitamins. It also has quercetin, a compound proven to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. One study also showed that people who regularly take this supplement may reduce signs of blood clots in just four weeks. Additionally, animal studies have shown promising results with sea buckthorn oil decreasing blood sugar levels and managing sugar level spikes after meals. Plus, for women who are perimenopausal, postmenopausal, or actually going through menopause, it can help with vaginal dryness, especially as estrogen levels become more erratic over time. Other research also suggests there may be even more benefits, including boosting the immune system, aiding in liver health, and healing skin damage (if applied topically). What are the side effects? There are currently very few reported side effects, but they include swelling, headaches, and dizziness. People who are on blood thinning medication should also avoid sea buckthorn oil since it has its own blood-thinning properties. For those who apply it directly to their skin, it could be itchy or irritating. How should you take it? You can take sea buckthorn oil in a number of ways if you want to try it out. You can infuse the oil (Buy on Amazon, $10.95) into smoothies, soups, or other foods, or take capsules (Buy on Amazon, $27.89). There are also special topical serums for those who want to put it directly on their skin (Buy on Amazon, $15.95). Just make sure to first try it on a small patch of skin, like on your wrist, before covering a larger area. No matter what you choose, make sure you get your doctor’s go-ahead before you get started. On top of the supplements, sea buckthorn fruit has also been used in cooking for many years, so that’s another way to get some of its helpful nutritional benefits. If you’re able to get your hands on some online (Buy on Amazon, $8.99), mixing it into this jam or this meringue pie could do the trick. Sounds like a fun cooking project!
This Supplement May Promote Heart Health, Protect Against Diabetes, and Prevent Vaginal Dryness
Does cold water swimming improve health? Have you done cold-water swimming? As a part of a karate club ritual, I once found myself plunging into the Puget Sound on a cold New Year’s Day. While I will never do it again, others think differently: Cold-water swimming in lakes, rivers, or the ocean is becoming more popular. […]
Does Cold Water Swimming Improve Health?
Dr. Robert Murphy, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, talks about the rise of COVID-19 cases in India and South America. Dr. Murphy also discusses where we are in the vaccination process and answers listener questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/3833857/3833857_2021-05-02-150157.128.mp3
Dr. Robert Murphy on the current state of vaccination distribution
Quotes on Gita : ‘If one reads Bhagavad-Gita very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him’ Lord Shiva to Parvatidevi, Gita-Mahatmya. No other philosophical or religious work reveals ,in such a lucid and profound way, the nature of consciousness, the self, […]
Daily Dose of Bhagwad Gita
Ontario is further expanding its COVID-19 vaccine rollout this week as a boost in supply is expected to arrive from Pfizer-BioNTech. The province says those 18 years of age and older living in one of 114 hot spot communities will be able to book their vaccine appointment through the province’s online portal beginning Monday at 8 a.m. As of Thursday, those turning 50 and over this year in the rest of the province will be able to book a slot through the Ontario booking system or directly through their public health units. [readmore label=”Read more: ” link=”https://globalnews.ca/news/7827557/covid-19-ontario-cases-vaccine-may-2-coronavirus/” /] The province says Thursday’s expansion also includes people with high-risk health conditions, those who can’t work from home including teachers and school workers and First Nation, Inuit and Metis people not previously targeted in earlier phases of the immunization drive. The expanded rollout comes as Ontario reports 3,732 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday and 23 more deaths linked to the virus. Ontario says 76,685 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Saturday’s report. A total of 5,324,369 COVID vaccines have been given in the province. [tp_video id=7826683]
Ontario begins expanded COVID-19 vaccine rollout this week
I settle into my cushion, my mind jumping to the 4 days of the retreat stretching ahead of me. I’m filled with the warm, familiar feeling of being back at this beautiful retreat center, surrounded by other meditators who have also taken time out of their regular lives to focus on their practice. But something […]
Meditating with a mask on
Analyze the name of the game to suitable sleep. Those pointers will help you sleep better at night and be more energetic and productive at some point of your waking hours.
Tips to sleep better at night
Mind-blowing theories 