News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/12/02

COVID soars in Hamilton. Hamilton surpasses 500 active COVID cases. thespec.com, Nov 29: Hamilton saw two COVID record-breaking days this weekend, with new highs reached for number of new cases Saturday and number of active cases Sunday. … An outbreak at Red Hill Orthodontics, declared Nov. 24, doubled over the weekend, growing from two cases to four on Sunday. All cases are in staff. Read more

Some Ottawa Public Health programs slowly returning – 1 of 4 dental clinics open. cbc.ca, Dec 1. ... Those clinics together saw 140 clients a day before the pandemic hit … and the hope is to get the other two open so vulnerable populations have easier access to one nearby. While the clinics were closed…dentists across the community stepped up to help and will likely have to continue to do so until the clinics are at full capacity. Read more

ADA urges new administration to prioritize oral health in first 100 days. ada.org, Dec 1: Association reiterates need for additional pandemic relief. Read more

UK dental world reacts to COVID-19 vaccine approval. dental-tribune.com, Dec 2: ...A spokesperson for the British Dental Association told Dental Tribune International (DTI) that, while the association was excited about the announcement, it was still seeking clarity on where, exactly, dental professionals would fit into the vaccine roll-out. Read more

Summary of CDC Guidance for Dental Services. cdc.gov, updated Dec 1: CDC has released Considerations for School Sealant Programs During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. School Sealant Programs (SSPs) are a highly effective way to provide preventive oral health services to children who are at greater risk for developing cavities and less likely to receive private dental care. Many SSPs have been suspended as communities respond to COVID-19. Read more

HPI poll: Patient volume in dental practice at 76% of pre-pandemic levels. ada.org, Nov 30: Patient volume in dental practices is estimated at 76% of pre-COVID-19 levels, representing a slight decline over the past couple of months, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute’s latest data from its COVID-19 economic impact tracking poll conducted the week of Nov. 16. Read more

Dental practices remain open amid COVID-19 surge. ada.org, Dec 1: ADA, state societies reinforce dentistry is essential health care. Read more

When coronavirus vaccines are ready, dentists, optometrists may give shots. nbcnews.com, Nov 30: These medical professionals are seeking permission to vaccinate patients against Covid-19 and other diseases to take pressure off of primary care doctors. Read more

Karnataka medical, dental colleges re-open amid Covid spread. canindia.com, Dec 1: Over 500 medical, dental, pharmacy, Ayush and nursing colleges across Karnataka reopened on Tuesday after remaining shut for over 8 months due to the Covid-induced extended lockdown and subsequent restrictions. ... Though colleges reopened on November 17, the students’ response has been tepid due to the fear of the pandemic, which persists in cities and towns across the state though the caseload has declined. Read more

Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada around the world on Wednesday. cbc.ca, Dec 2: Manitoba's top doctor says COVID-19 case numbers too high, health system 'being pushed.' Quebec hospitals are filling up, and doctors worry Christmas gatherings could push them over the edge. Ontario reports 1,723 new COVID-19 cases, 35 more deaths. Alberta records its worst month of the pandemic, straining ICUs. Read more

PM: Feds, provinces agree vaccine prioritization should be consistent Canada-wide. ctvnews.ca, Dec 1: As the precise order of who will follow seniors, health care workers and high-risk populations in line to get COVID-19 vaccines is still being sorted out, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal and provincial governments agree that there should be a cross-Canada "consensus" on the matter. Read more

Ontario government now in direct talks with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. toronto.ctvnews.ca, Dec 1: …it remains unclear when the first Canadians in line to receive the vaccines will get to roll up their sleeves. … Health Minister Christine Elliott said that efforts are nonetheless underway to make sure that Ontario will be in a position to distribute vaccines as of Dec. 31. Read more

Ethicists debate whether anti-mask protestors should forfeit COVID-19 medical care. natioanlpost.com, Dec 1: If you are a real believer in liberty, then you have to say, "I’ll pay the price." Ethicists disagree on whether people who flout public health measures should accept prompt care should they contract the virus. Read more

More than 100 Sask. health care workers test positive in two weeks. thestarphoenix.com, Dec 1: The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses is concerned about a lack of transparency on the number of its members who are needing to self-isolate. Read more

Janssen seeks Health Canada approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. cbc.ca, Dec 1: A fourth company has submitted its COVID-19 vaccine candidate for Health Canada approval, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Monday. Read more

Chris Selley: In search of some sanity on rapid COVID testing. nationalpost.com, Dec 1 [OPINION]: The prejudice against masks among public health experts has nearly dissipated, but the prejudice against rapid testing is as strong as ever. Read more

Over one-third of children with COVID-19 show no symptoms. petroliavoice.ca, Dec 1: More than one-third of kids who have COVID-19 are asymptomatic, according to a study that suggests youngsters diagnosed with the disease may represent just a fraction of those infected. Read more

ONTARIO: 22 per cent of rapid COVID-19 tests in Ontario reporting false negatives, experts say. kitchenertoday.com, Nov 30: After many lauded rapid COVID-19 tests as a "game-changer," the Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario (MLPAO) is expressing its concerns over the method. Read more

Unusable masks, catered meals, redone renos: B.C. health minister orders review of PHSA spending. cbc.ca, Nov 30. British Columbia's health minister has ordered an immediate review of alleged misspending by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

Canada 'not at the back of the line' for COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna chairman says. cbc.ca, Nov 29. The head of a U.S. biotechnology company that is developing one of the most promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates says Canada is not far behind other countries when it comes to receiving doses of its vaccine, despite criticism of the government's procurement plan from the Conservative opposition. Read more

As Moderna seeks approval for COVID-19 vaccine, where does Canada stand? citynews1130.com, Nov 30. Moderna’s application for emergency use authorization in the U.S. of its COVID-19 vaccine means Americans could be just weeks away from the beginning of immunizations against the virus. But where does Canada stand in the queue? Read more

Canada ‘in the top 5’ on list to receive coronavirus vaccines 1st: minister. globalnews.ca, Nov 30. Canada is “certainly in the top five” on the list of countries to receive doses of a novel coronavirus vaccine the country’s minister of intergovernmental affairs says. Dominic LeBlanc made the comments during an interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson airing on Sunday. Read more

What happens if someone refuses vaccination? Ethicists urge clarity on COVID-19 rollout. ctvnews.ca, Nov 29. When the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines finally arrive in Canada, the country will need to grapple with a series of difficult questions that ethicists fear we haven’t spent enough time answering. For example, which groups should get vaccinated after those most vulnerable? How long will it take for everyone to get their shot? And what happens if a person refuses to get vaccinated? The clock is ticking to address those questions. Read more

Economic growth can't happen until COVID-19 vaccines are ready and available. nationalobserver.com, Nov 30. Monday’s fall fiscal update has analysts wondering if the federal government will be announcing stimulus measures to help a struggling economy rebound. While the government needs to be making plans for that recovery, it is too soon to put those plans into action because the recovery cannot begin until the public health crisis ends. Read more

Britain approves Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for use, 1st in world to do so. globalnews.ca, Dec 2: Britain became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine candidate Wednesday, with the government announcing the shot will be rolled out across the country beginning early next week. Read more

Putin orders Russia to begin mass COVID-19 vaccinations. nationalpost.com, Dec 2: President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian authorities on Wednesday to begin mass voluntary vaccinations against COVID-19 next week as Russia recorded 589 new daily deaths from the coronavirus. Russia will have produced 2 million vaccine doses within the next few days, Putin said. Russia said last month that its Sputnik V jab was 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim results. Read more

WHO recommends masks indoors if ventilation poor. ctvnews.ca, Dec 2: The World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended wearing face masks when indoors with other people, if the ventilation has been deemed inadequate, in an update to its COVID-19 guidance on masks. The new recommendations apply in areas of known or suspected cluster or community transmission of the new coronavirus. Read more

Trudeau open to more health funding for provinces as premiers criticize fiscal update. theglobeandmail.com Dec 1: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday he is open to negotiations on additional health care funding for the provinces at next week’s First Ministers’ meeting, but repeated his government’s assertion that 80 per cent of the money going toward COVID-19 emergency spending is coming from Ottawa. Read more

CDC panel says first Covid-19 vaccine doses should go to health workers, long-term care residents. politico.com, Dec 1: The panel voted 13-1 to approve the recommendation of who should be first in line for the shots once they are available. The FDA is poised to greenlight the emergency use of two shots later this month. Read more

Health groups pledge transparency about COVID-19 vaccine plans. thehill.com, Dec 2: Top health groups on Tuesday pledged to be open and transparent about their plans for vaccinating communities across the country against the coronavirus. In an open letter to the American public, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association said they are committed to establishing and sharing safe and effective processes for administering a COVID-19 vaccine. Read more

Crime gangs threaten COVID-19 vaccine campaigns, Interpol warns. ctvnews.ca, Dec 2: Interpol on Wednesday warned authorities worldwide of the threat from organized crime groups during upcoming COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, including fake vaccines and the theft of supplies. Distribution of three new coronavirus vaccines is set to begin soon and many people will be desperate to protect themselves as quickly as possible, offering ready targets for criminals. Read more

U.S. CDC to shorten COVID-19 quarantine to 10 days, 7 with test: AP source. ctvnews.ca, Dec 1: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to shorten the recommended length of quarantine after exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19, as the virus rages across the nation. According to a senior administration official, the new guidelines will allow people who have come in contact to someone infected with the virus to resume normal activity after 10 days, or 7 days if they receive a negative test result. That's down from the 14-day period recommended since the onset of the pandemic. Read more

Coronavirus was present in US earlier than initially thought: CDC scientists. thehill.com, Dec 1: The coronavirus was in the U.S. as early as mid-December 2019, a period earlier than officially identified in either China or the U.S., according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found evidence of the virus in 106 of 7,389 blood donations to the Red Cross in nine states. These donations were collected between Dec. 13, 2019, and Jan. 17, 2020. Read more

Officials worry about hospital capacity as U.S. hits record number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized. ctvnews.ca, Dec 1: As the crush of incoming COVID-19 patients continues to strain hospitals across the U.S., officials across several states are worried their hospitals will be overwhelmed as the holiday season approaches. Read more

Red Cross chief calls for fight against 'fake news' about COVID-19 vaccine. cbc.ca, Dec 1: The head of the world's largest humanitarian network is urging governments and institutions to combat "fake news" about COVID-19 vaccines, which has become "a second pandemic," and start building trust in communities around the world about the critical importance of vaccinating people. Read more

Don't want the COVID-19 vaccine? You could lose access to normal life, says U.K. cbc.ca, Nov 30: minister. People who refuse a vaccine for COVID-19 could find normal life curtailed as restaurants, bars, cinemas and sports venues could block entry to those who don't have proof that they're inoculated, Britain's new vaccine minister said on Monday. Read more

French health authority wants Covid-19 vaccination to be optional. rfi.fr, Nov 30. The government is to announce the details of the programme this week. It’s unlikely that having a vaccination against Covid‑19 will be compulsory in France. Read more

Reintroducing fluoride would not increase water prices in Calgary. globalnews.ca, Dec 1: …Those capital costs could be absorbed by the water utility, meaning there would be no need to raise water rates. “It would have no impact whatsoever on property taxes and you would amortize the cost over many years,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. … The presentation from city administration was just for information, and Nenshi said that leaves a few options. Read more

Indigenous Services minister to acknowledge Liberals won't meet promised drinking water target. cbc.ca, Dec 2: Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller will announce today the Liberal government won't meet its commitment to lift all long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations by March 2021, according to a senior government source with knowledge of the file. But Miller will outline how the government will spend more than $1.5 billion to finish the work. Read more

Opioid death rate significantly higher in Northern Ontario, say provincial stats. thestar.com, Dec 1: Statistics from Public Health Ontario (PHO) show the opioid-related death rates in many parts of Northern Ontario are significantly higher than the numbers being reported by Toronto Public Health and some other Southern Ontario locations. Read more

Greater Sudbury area's opioid death rate is three times the national average, stats show. sudbury.com, Dec 1: Rate is far higher than Toronto, Peel, Ottawa, Windsor or Niagara, and is the highest in the North. Read more

Fiscal update sets up $100B more spending on economic stimulus, atop $381B deficit. nationalpost.com, Dec 1: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented the numbers in her long-awaited fiscal update Monday afternoon in the House of Commons. Read more

On the edge of a bleak pandemic winter, Freeland offers a vague plan for recovery. cbc.ca, Dec 1 [Analysis]: In terms of fiscal policy, Freeland's fall economic statement was an attempt both to account for the long winter of our pandemic discontent and to hold out some hope. Read more

Opposition parties signal they will not support the Liberals’ spending plans. Is an election next? thestar.com, Nov 30: The initial reactions of Opposition leaders signal new spending measures, totalling $25 billion, may not find support across the aisle, which could trigger another crisis of confidence in the minority Trudeau government. Read more

Message to Federal Government from Canada’s doctors: Our health care system is sending an SOS. cma.ca, Nov 30: Today’s federal economic update should have offered health care providers hope of relief and a glimpse of the federal leadership required to keep our health system afloat. But instead it fell short. Read more

Ottawa signals plans to create Canada-wide childcare system, collect digital sales taxes. cbc.ca, Nov 30: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the first steps in a multi-year plan to build a Canada-wide childcare system to reduce costs for families and encourage more women with kids to join the workforce. Read more

A million in federal funding to fight substance use issues. myyellowknifenow.com, Nov 30: The GNWT received federal funding to help the territory deal with its substance use issues. Health minister Julie Green and federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller announced $1 million in funding, stretched out over five years for various measures to help address problematic substance use through the Northern Wellness Agreement. Read more

Investigation finds widespread racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples in B.C. health-care system. cbc.ca, Nov 30: 84% of Indigenous people who took part in investigation reported discrimination in system. Racism, stereotyping and discrimination against Indigenous peoples in the B.C. health-care system are widespread and can be deadly, according to the findings of an independent investigative report. Read more

Procter & Gamble develops recyclable toothpaste tube. recyclingtoday.com, Dec 1: The new recyclable, HDPE packaging solution will be used for three toothpaste brands—Crest, Oral-B and Blend-a-med—in North America and Europe. ...The company says the switch to recyclable toothpaste tubes will start in January 2021 and will continue until full conversion by 2025. Read more

Vaping raises lung disease risks by more than 40%: Study finds young e-cigarette users face higher risks of asthma, chronic bronchitis and COPD. dailymail.co.uk, Dec 2: Boston University researchers found that even among vapers who don't smoke, risks of lung disease are 43% higher for current e-cig users. Current vapers are 34% more at risk for chronic bronchitis and 69% more likely to develop emphysema than non-users. Vapers face a 57% higher risk of COPD, a life-threatening lung condition that affects many smokers. Read more

Fewer than half of Americans know that alcohol is a carcinogen. Big Booze wants to keep it that way. thecounter.org, Dec 1: The spirits industry regularly spreads misinformation to obscure alcohol’s cancer link. Public health groups are demanding label warnings to give consumers clarity. Read more

Dental health should be part of plan for seniors, Oregon dentists say. Eastoregonian.com, Nov 28. As Medicare’s Dec. 7 deadline for enrollment approaches, local dentists hope people will make plans for caring for their oral health. Dr. Todd Oyama of Medical Center Dental said while people tend to think of dental care as separate from other medical care, oral health has impacts beyond the mouth, and has been linked to systemic diseases, such as heart disease. Read more

Dalhousie University – Current course offerings

McGill University – Continuing dental education

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry University – Continuing professional development

Université Laval – Formation continue

University of Manitoba – Continuing professional development

Université de Montréal – Formation dentaire continue

University of Alberta – Program and courses

University of British Columbia – Calendar of courses

University of Saskatchewan – Continuing professional dental education

University of Toronto – Continuing dental education

2021

January 25–28: 2021 OSAP Dental Infection Control Boot Camp. Read more

March 13–16: “WE” 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition (Virtual). Read more

March 4–6: Pacific Dental Conference – Virtual Experience. Save the date

May 6–8: Ontario Dental Association ASM21 Annual Spring Meeting. Read more

Please let us know about upcoming continuing education meetings that could be of interest to Canadian dentists by emailing us at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca