1) Throughout the pandemic, Sweden has distinguished itself dubiously from its Scandinavian neighbors with its much more laissez-faire approach, even at one point promoting the now-discredited notion of herd immunity. And last Wednesday, it claimed the #COVID pandemic was over.
2) In recent days, a number of Canadian provinces have rushed to eliminate public health protections – in effect, following Sweden’s example. In this thread, I will compare how the two countries have fared in the #pandemic – from public health measures to vaccination.
3) First, though, it’s worth examining the impact of the #pandemic on the death rates of the two countries. Sweden, with a population of 10.3 million, has to date declared a cumulative total of 16,501 #COVID deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
4) Canada, with a population (of 38 million) that is nearly four times greater Sweden’s, has recorded a little over two times as many #pandemic deaths as the Scandinavian nation: 35,439. Until very recently, Canada was much more stringent in public health protections than Sweden.
5) The latest seven-day average, compiled by Québec’s public health institute, shows Sweden with a rate of 4.1 #COVID deaths per million population, compared with a rate of 3.2 for Canada. This likely reflects Sweden’s ramp-up in booster vaccinations.
6) In fact, Sweden has put more emphasis on #COVID boosters than Canada, which has likely blunted its #Omicron-fuelled and rising death wave. This should give pause to anti-vaxxers who cite Sweden as some sort of pandemic paradise. Please see the vaccine booster chart below.
7) Throughout the #pandemic, Sweden has consistently posted much higher mortality waves than Canada, likely reflecting its limited use of public health protections. Please review the comparative chart below by Our World in Data.
8) What has made the difference for Canada is that it has promoted vaccination since the doses became available while maintaining sound public health measures. The chart below by Our World in Data tracks Canada’s much higher “stringency” index of measures than Sweden’s.
9) But of late, Canadian politicians seem to be ceding to the demands of a minority of intensely self-absorbed, scientifically benighted, and sanctimonious protesters who have been denying the freedoms of the majority of peaceful, hardworking Canadians to go about their lives.
10) The lesson to be drawn from this comparative review of Canada and Sweden is that vaccines alone are not enough to fight #COVID. Easy-to-follow public health protections are also required to help us all gain our freedom back from the #pandemic. End of thread.
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1) On Tuesday, the Quebec government unveiled its 2024-2025 budget, with the biggest expenditure to be made on health and social services. In this Twitter thread, I assess whether this "Health/Education Priorities" budget lives up to its hype, especially when it comes to seniors.
2) As you can see from the chart below, the lion's share of spending in the budget is for health and social services, pegged at $61.9 billion — up by 4.17% from the year before. In contrast, spending on education — so vital to Quebec's future — will rise 9.35% to $22.3 billion.
3) But as far as health and social services is concerned, Tuesday's budget may be indulging in a bit of spin. The chart below states that Quebec will spend an extra $3.7 billion over the next five years to "support a humane and effective organization of health care."
1) "The pandemic is far from over," one of the preeminent experts on #COVID19, Dr. Eric Topol, declared today, Jan. 4, 2024 — three years after the world first learned of a novel virus that was killing people in China. In this thread, I take stock of what's going on in Quebec.
2) "The pandemic is far from over, as evidenced by the rapid rise to global dominance of the JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2," Topol noted in a Los Angeles Times op-ed. In Quebec, nearly one in two genetic samples collected was from JN.1 as of two weeks ago. It's likely higher now.
3) "Clearly this virus variant, with its plethora of new mutations, has continued its evolution ... for infecting or reinfecting us," Topol added. Although the updated booster is considered 60% protective against hospitalization, only 17% of the Quebec population has taken it.
1) BREAKING: By every major indicator, Quebec's health-care system is now arguably the worst it's ever been. Please click on my story below on Quebec wait lists for cancer and other surgery setting record highs — again. via @mtlgazettemontrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
2) Although Quebec has made it a priority to tackle wait lists for cancer surgery, more than 4,400 oncology patients are still waiting for their operations. More than 600 are waiting longer than the medically acceptable delay of 57 days, potentially putting their health at risk.
3) Even the wait list for so-called non-urgent surgery has now swelled to nearly 164,000 people. Almost 14,000 Quebecers today have been waiting more than a year for their surgery. At a year's wait, a non-urgent surgery starts to become urgent.
1) BREAKING: Quebec, like other jurisdictions across North America, is now in the midst of a new #COVID19 resurgence — nearly 4 years into the #pandemic. In this thread, I will assess the implications of this latest wave of infections, likely driven by a new SARS-CoV-2 variant.
2) On Dec. 5, Quebec declared a total of 2,214 hospitalizations with and for #COVID. Please note this increase also reflects a change in the way Quebec's public health institute has been compiling such hospitalizations. But make no mistake: Quebec is still facing a resurgence.
3) The United States is also facing a #COVID hospitalizations resurgence, with 20,000 new admissions per week, according to preeminent expert @EricTopol. In the U.S., the JN.1 variant is becoming dominant, with wastewater levels surging with SARS-CoV-2. See Topol's tweet below.
1) BREAKING: Jewish-owned businesses in Montreal are being targeted and vandalized with antisemitic profanity. Please click below to read my report.
via @mtlgazettemontrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
2) "Last weekend, they put swastikas on the … menus downtown and they wrote FUCK THE JEWS," a Jewish business owner told me. I have also seen a list of Jewish businesses that is circulating, provoking not only boycotts but vandalism.
3) The Gazette has decided not to publish these disturbing images, as the Jewish business owners are fearful of reprisals.
1) BREAKING: A month after Japan downgraded #COVID19 to the seasonal flu, the country is now beset with a 9th wave of infections. In this thread, I will explore the persistence of the #pandemic that everyone — especially politicians — wants to forget.
2) First, it's worth noting that the number of #COVID hospitalizations in the nation of 125 million rose to 4,330 from 4,122 a week before. The seven-day average for the number of patients in intensive care units was 79, according to the Japan Times.
3) It appears that XBB subtypes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are driving the latest wave of infections in Japan. Meanwhile, China has recorded a more than five-fold surge in the number of people diagnosed with COVID in hospitals since April. China is also bracing for another wave.