As the second COVID-19 wave spreads across the country, many Canadians are either locked-down or in self imposed quarantines. The consequence is significantly fewer medical appointments and trips to emergency.
Beyond the physical health threat of Covid-19, 81% of working Canadians feel the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health¹. As fall slips into winter across Canada, daylight hours decline significantly.
Each year Canadians’ face a “seasonal influenza epidemic”. The Flu Season typically begins in late fall and is with us through the winter months. Historically, 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children contract the flu.
Over 7.5 million Canadian’s have hypertension (high blood pressure). Frequently called “the silent killer”, most of us learn we have hypertension from our family doctors because there are no symptoms or pain to warn us we have the condition.
After six months into to COVID-19, several studies have revealed people with hypertension are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. In fact, there is mounting evidence that COVID-19 affects the heart, regardless of age and fitness levels of patients. The Center for Disease Control in the US has identified several underlying health conditions that put individuals at higher risk should they contract COVID-19. These include: serious heart diseases, COPD, obesity, cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and people with compromised immune systems¹.