by Raywat Deonandan, PhD
Epidemiologist & Associate Professor
University of Ottawa
(I add my credentials to these COVID-19 blog posts in case they get shared. I want readers to know that my opinion is supposedly an educated and informed one)

As I write this, much of the Northern hemisphere has been struck with a wave of multiple childhood respiratory diseases, COVID-19, RSV, and influenza prime among them. Pediatric hospitals are being overrun. Right now in Ontario, we are beyond 100% capacity, with (I’m told) some ICU beds doubling up kids:

One proposal to help slow the traffic into the ERs is to reinstate masking in most, if not all, public indoor settings. This possibility has triggered that tired debate of (a) whether masks work at all, and (b) whether they are harmful at all. (more…)

by Raywat Deonandan, PhD
Epidemiologist & Associate Professor
University of Ottawa
(I add my credentials to these COVID-19 blog posts in case they get shared. I want readers to know that my opinion is supposedly an educated and informed one)

As I write this, I have a sick child at home to whom I am giving solo care, have pulled multiple all-nighters this week, and have an enormous document due tomorrow. And yet I’m taking the time to write this brief blog post because some journalists have tagged me in an ongoing discussion about the latest COVID-19 vaccine nothing-burger “scandal”. Please understand if my patience seems strained, as I am running on fumes today. (more…)

by Raywat Deonandan, PhD
Epidemiologist & Associate Professor
University of Ottawa
(I add my credentials to these COVID-19 blog posts in case they get shared. I want readers to know that my opinion is supposedly an educated and informed one)

Today’s topic is just what the title suggests: taking a closer look at some of the studies/documents that are currently driving the anti-vaccine agenda. I’ll only look at three such studies in this post, because I only have so much time before my toddler barges into my office demanding that his socks be interchanged –or something equally as critical.  So let’s get to it.

(more…)