EDMONTON—Edmonton public school trustees have voted to ask the province to reinstate mask mandates when a school is on outbreak status due to respiratory illnesses. During a board meeting on Tuesday, trustees unanimously approved a motion seeking a meeting with Alberta’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Mark Joffe, Premier Danielle Smith, and Education Minister Adriana…

What is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the virus currently being blamed for a surge in pediatric emergency room visits across Canada? RSV infection is a common, highly contagious childhood illness that causes symptoms similar to colds. Cases usually take a week or two to resolve. Symptoms include coughing, fever, runny nose, and a loss of…

New Zealand hospitals are experiencing high case numbers of children infected with non-COVID-19 related respiratory illnesses as a result of lockdowns and social distancing rules. An outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital is causing the postponement of planned surgeries to ensure there are enough hands to care for all the…

Singing was the only time I felt in control of my lungs and, paradoxically, able to forget about them. It was October, and my shortness of breath had worsened after weeks of teasing improvement. I felt breathless walking or resting, lying down or sitting, working or watching Netflix, talking or silently meditating—but not while singing….

A serious respiratory illness called Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has seen a massive spike since the start of the year, affecting children across the Far North Queensland region. Since Jan. 1, Queensland Health said the Cairns and Hinterland region had seen 182 presentations to the emergency room, compared to just 33 for the whole of…