Sue Jones

While COVID-19 cases have decreased in recent months, there are still potentially millions of people suffering from long COVID—the prolonged symptoms which can persist for months or even years after a COVID-19 infection. These symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, sleep disorders, fever, gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, depression, and “brain fog”, as per the National Institutes of Health. Another common…

Fitbit users will soon have a new piece of health information right at their fingertips (or wrists): The company announced this week that they’ve received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the technology that powers their new irregular heart rhythm notifications feature.The Fitbit atrial fibrillation software is an algorithm based on…

Canada Post is temporarily resuming mail deliveries in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside after residents protested a decision by the Crown corporation to suspend services citing “health and safety” reasons.On Tuesday, residents of the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood in Vancouver, B.C., protest Canada Post’s suspension of mail deliveries in two blocks of East Hastings Street. The crown corporation has now announced…

Ontario’s ombudsman says the government’s conduct was wrong and unreasonable for how it closed custody and detention programs at youth justice facilities in the province’s northwest region in March 2021, forcing 22 young people to move with little notice.Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé’s report, ‘Lost Opportunities,’ into the closure of detention and custody programs at two…

P.E.I. is officially dropping its mandatory mask mandate as of Friday, May 6, according to the Chief Public Health Office.Masks will no longer be required in indoor public spaces on P.E.I., though the province’s Chief Public Health Office ‘highly recommends’ people continue to wear them. (CBC/Radio-Canada)P.E.I. is officially dropping its mandatory mask mandate as of Friday, May…

A federal court judge has set aside a Department of Fisheries order that would have phased out fish farming in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands.The Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)A federal court judge has set aside a Department of Fisheries order that would have phased out fish farming in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands. Judge Elizabeth Heneghan says…

The Easter holiday means more egg handling, especially for children. It is important to follow safe handling tips when preparing, storing and serving eggs to keep the holiday free of foodborne illnesses.  Eggs can cause food poisoning because salmonella is a common bacteria found in uncooked and unbroken eggs. Salmonella can be present on both…

Scotland is planning a new food sampling strategy to tackle challenges associated with the current approach to testing. The proposed model has four strands of surveillance managed and funded by Food Standards Scotland (FSS), and is separate from the verification sampling by local authorities as part of their routine inspections. It was presented at the…

EAS Consulting Group is  hosting a complimentary webinar on April 20 at 1 p.m. EDT. The webinar will be on Food Fraud Mitigations and Testing and will be presented by EAS Senior Directors Tim Lombardo and Maged Sharaf. Food Fraud is a global challenge, costing billions to the food industry and consumers as well as causing…

Bird watchers across the U.S. received a sobering request this week amid rising concerns about an ongoing outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in wild birds and poultry. On Wednesday, the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota advised people to take down their bird feeders in order to discourage the congregating of song…