André Picard is the health columnist at The Globe and Mail and author of "NEGLECTED NO MORE". I tweet about public health, health policy, and journalism.
"André Pierre Picard. For his dedication to advancing public health understanding and practices in Canada as a leading health journalist and bestselling author."
I'm honoured and humbled to be included in the list of new appointees to the
#OrderOfCanada
.
Please indulge me for a rare (but brief) thread of personal comments.
I was on a city bus in Copenhagen early this morning. A young man clearly suffering from mental illness was screaming angrily. Not an unusual occurrence on urban transport. Passengers ignored him. 1/
Terry Fox died on this day 41 years ago, June 28, 1981 at the age 22 after having run 5,373 kilometres in the Marathon of Hope. Terry's goal was to raise $1-million for
#cancer
research. His foundation has since raised $850-million. via
@tfri_research
Please stop using the Trumpism "fake news."
A story that is wrong it not "fake news," it's wrong.
A story that is incomplete, is not "fake news," it's incomplete.
A story you disagree with is not "fake news," it's a story you disagree with.
#journalism
It was a reminder that some values - like caring for your fellow citizens in a time of crisis- are universal. It was a reminder that immigrants and refugees bring incredible skills with them. It is not newcomers we need to fear, but the assumptions we make about them.
I usually reserve my opinions for
@globeandmail
columns but feel compelled to write a brief thread about the public maligning of Dr. Theresa Tam
@CPHO_Canada
and criticisms she has been 'flip-flopping' on issues like the usefulness of masks
1/
#COVID19
update March 21 Global:
305,066 cases, 12,987 deaths.
Cases increasing by 30,000 daily, deaths by 1,600+.
Italy recorded 793 deaths in a single day.
Sharp rise in cases in Italy, U.S., Spain, Germany, France, U.K., Switzerland.
#globalhealth
Hundreds of immigrants in France🇫🇷 working on the
#coronavirus
frontline, from cleaners to health aides, have had their service to the country recognised with fast-track citizenship
via
@bbcnews
@LondonNadeau
#COVID19
#December6
, 1989. They died because they were women.
Today is National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
#Polytechnique
#16Days
Jérôme (Jerry) Lalonde: Dec 25, 1931 -- July 10, 2020.
My father-in-law. Another victim of
#COVID19
.
For journalists, the pandemic is a professional challenge; but it's a personal one too.
Merry Christmas to the cleaning staff, kitchen workers, clerks, porters, lab workers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, PAs, PSWs, chaplains, social workers, patients, family members - and many others - who keep system running, and provide care, every day.
#Christmas
I’m humbled and touched to receive the Owen Adams Award, the highest honour bestowed on a non-physician by the Canadian Medical Association
@CMA_Docs
#CMAawards2020
The logic behind vaccine mandates for travellers no longer holds. While lifting the mandate may seem unfair to those who were vaccinated, there are real equity issues with keeping it on the books, by
@zchagla
via
@GlobeDebate
#COVID19
#cdnpoli
#vaccination
Before the vaccine was developed in 1973, 2.6 million children and pregnant women died of
#measles
every year. Last year, 136,000 children and pregnant women died of measles. No one gives a toss about the ill-informed opinions of death-denying trolls.
If Michael Kovrig, a man who just spent 1,020 days in a Chinese prison, can make it a priority to get a
#COVID19
vaccine (and use his notoriety to promote
#vaccination
to boot), surely no one else has an excuse for not doing so.
Today I had the honor of providing this man with his first dose at
#LawlorPharmasave
#pharmacy
.
"I want everyone to know this, vaccines are the best way to combat this disease".
-
#MichaelKovrig
*Shared with permission*
Denmark, like many Western countries, is having a fierce public debate about the place of immigrants and whether they can adapt to Western culture and values. This incident I witnessed on the city bus was frightening but, in many ways heartening. 5/
Finally, this story is a reminder that we routinely avoid engaging with our fellow citizens. Every one of the bus passengers I spoke to had a fascinating story, yet we only spoke because of a violent incident we witnessed. It shouldn't take a tragedy to get us talking. 7/
💔Photo of Houston ICU doctor comforting a weeping
#COVID19
patient goes viral. Dr. Joseph Varon was working for his 252nd straight day. Photo by Go Nakamura,
@GettyImages
via
@GettyImagesNews
Sweden’s top epidemiologist, who persuaded country to not impose a strict lockdown, now says that approach caused too many deaths and he regrets it via
@business
@LussiD
#Covid19
#GlobalHealth
#COVID19
Apr 04 global:
1.2 million cases
64,691 deaths
1 in 4 cases worldwide are in the U.S.
Spain surpasses Italy in cases
Italy has more than 15,000 deaths, Spain almost 12,000
Germany and France rapid increase in cases
In 1950, before a vaccine available, more than 55,000 Canadian children contracted
#measles
. It was the leading cause of blindness, deafness and 'mental retardation.' And more than 100 children died.
What is your point: That, in 2024, we should have more sick and dead children?
A hearty thank you to all the health workers toiling during the holidays to ensure our hospitals and emergency services are operating 24/7. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy 2024.🎁
It's worth noting that
@NeilYoung
had
#polio
at age 5.
His father,
@globeandmail
columnist Scott Young, told the story in his book "Neil and Me." The Canadian musician and has always been a fierce advocate for
#vaccination
.
"Having friends over for dinner is not
#SocialDistancing
. Arranging play dates is not social distancing. Visiting family in hospital or care homes is not social distancing. Stopping at a grocery story to stock up after travel is not social distancing" -
@epdevilla
#COVID19
A rare bit of sharing of personal information from me today to congratulate my brilliant daughter, Anaïs Lalonde-Picard, who, after for years of medical studies at
@USherbrooke
, has matched to
@uMcGill
as a resident in internal medicine. 👩⚕️
@cusm_muhc
#MedEd
#CaRMSMatch
What happens when you give 50 homeless people $7,500 each? They spend it on rent, clothing and food (not alcohol, drugs and smokes), a stereotype-shattering B.C. study shows, by
@Brie_Charlebois
via
@globeandmail
@jiayingzhao
Ambulance with flashing lights makes it was through anti-vaxx protestors at Vancouver City Hall. 12th and Cambie is an essential route for emergeny vehicles.
@CKNW
@GlobalBC
Changing your mind in changing circumstances is not flip-flopping and not a lack of leadership. It's how you do good science, and how we should shape public policy going forward - being nimble, not rigid. And recognizing
#COVID19
is as humbling as it is challenging.
/10
There are uplifting parts to this story, but I don't want to gloss over the fact that, in all big cities, we've come to see people with severe mental illness as an invisible part of the urban landscape - we avert our eyes until a tragedy happens. /6
Institutional
#COVID19
denial has killed public health as we knew it. Prepare to lose several centuries of progress. Abandoning collective approaches to disease mitigation is a recipe for disaster, by
@julia_doubleday
The Supreme Court of Canada refuses to hear appeal from B.C. churches who defied
#COVID19
restrictions, marking a significant victory for public health officials, and the end of the legal road for the faith leaders involved.
via
@cbcnews
One was a nurse from Somalia. The other was a nurse from Iraq. (The bus route services a major hospital.) Police arrested the man. The bus driver, despite his injuries, asked police if they could ensure the man got help for his "mental sickness." 3/
Ontario doctor Mark Trozzi, who made "misleading, incorrect or inflammatory statements about vaccinations, treatments and public health measures for
#COVID19
," has license revoked, ordered to pay $94,960 in legal costs of tribunal. via
@cpso_ca
#infodemic
Dr. Tam has been doing
#coronavirus
briefings for 12 weeks.
@CPHO_Canada
has been remarkably consistent in both her demeanor (calm, professional) and her advice (cautious, evidence-based). As our knowledge of
#COVID19
changes, so should policies.
/2
Canada will lift
#COVID19
public health restrictions when elected governments decide to do so, not street mobs. The measures have saved thousands of lives and we'll get rid of them when we're good and ready, by
@acoyne
via
@GlobeDebate
#cdnpoli
#cdhealth
On social media in particular, the comments about
@CPHO_Canada
's qualifications feature a disturbing level of sexism and racism. Dr. Tam is a medical doctor with as much expertise handling infectious diseases outbreaks as almost anyone in the world.
/8
On masks, Dr. Tam has said the same thing since day 1:
They do not protect wearers from infection, they can provide a false sense of security and, because of short supplies, surgical masks and N95 respirators should be reserved for medical personnel. All this remains true.
/3
Lung
#cancer
patient says hospital
#COVID19
protection 'all wrong' after testing positive. Glenda Senack says she was moved to room with 3 others, unmasked visitors. Ottawa Hospital lifted masking rules in June, by
@NicoleatCBC
via
@cbcnews
Suddenly the man rushed to the front of the bus and began viciously punching and stabbing the driver. A passenger intervened - he disarmed and subdued the man. (Turns out he used to be a police officer in Syria.) Two women in hijabs came to the bus driver's aid. /2
Isn't protecting our children a good reason to wear masks😷again? When
#COVID19
first hit, we wore masks to protect our grandparents. Kids deserve the same consideration, by
@AllisonHanes
via
@mtlgazette
Blaming and shaming those who gather in parks is not helpful. What these gatherings show is not that young people are irresponsible but that the cities we have are not the cities we need, by
@picardonhealth
via
@globeandmail
#COVID19
#PhysicalDistancing
Thrilled to learn I will receive an honorary doctorate👨🎓from the University of Ottawa. I have a life-long connection to
@uOttawa
: I was born on campus, studied there (even graduated!), was editor-in-chief of
@The_Fulcrum
, and returned often to lecture.
It’s a privilege, not a right, to know your kid’s gender identity. Sadly, some kids live with parents who are transphobic. No province should forcibly out gender nonconforming kids to these parents, by
@juliemalbogat
via
@torontostar
#transgender
🏳️⚧️
Deeply honoured to receive an honorary doctorate from
@UOttawa
, my alma mater. Also chuffed to see 700+ talented, eager health workers graduate. The future is in good hands.
Thrilled to learn I will receive an honorary doctorate👨🎓from the University of Ottawa. I have a life-long connection to
@uOttawa
: I was born on campus, studied there (even graduated!), was editor-in-chief of
@The_Fulcrum
, and returned often to lecture.
The role of public health officials is largely to tell the public things they don't want to hear. They will always be accused of acting too slowly or too hastily in about equal measure. On
#COVID19
,
@CPHO_Canada
has largely been a voice of calm reason
/6
Today is my work anniversary - 33 years at the
@globeandmail
🗞️. April 20, 1987 was my first day.
As my official work photos show, I haven't changed a bit, but the hair gods have not been kind.😬
#journalism
This is sickening. Personal support workers are paid so poorly that they are unable to afford to rent so they live in homeless shelters. Testimony from Dr. Jeff Turnbull at the Ontario Long-Term Care Commission.
#COVID19
#LTC
#cdnhealth
#PSWs
While I appreciate all the kindness, and am flattered to have my own hash tag
#IStandWithPicard
,🗞️I would prefer that people focus not on trolls but on my initial concern, that a Canadian pediatrician is saying we don't need a
#coronavirus
vaccine.
#Covid19
#antivax
@cpso_ca
We are fortunate in Canada to have a health columnist/journalist like
@picardonhealth
. He is a role model and a mentor, and always follows the evidence.
#IStandWithPicard
Health Workers In Oregon Were Stuck in A Massive Snowstorm.❄️Knowing the vaccines they were carrying would expire, they administered the shots to other stranded motorists,
@mlevenson
via
@nytimes
#COVID19
#vaccination
Canada's biggest pediatric hospital, SickKids in Toronto, suspends 148 of its 8,258 staffers for failing to get
#COVID19
shots; With 98.2% of workers fully vaccinated, no disruptions expected.
via
@cbcnews
#cdnhealth
#pediatrics
#vaccination
‘Immunity debt’ is a misguided and dangerous concept. There is no evidence that an individual is worse off for having avoided earlier infection, by
@anjahuja
via
@FT
@rpezer1
#COVID19
A 35-year-old Alberta man who removed his mask and deliberately coughed on a server at a Calgary bar has been convicted of assault via
@cbcnews
#COVID19
It's quite shocking to see a Canadian physician leader
@dockaurG
saying we don't need a
#coronavirus
vaccine, we just need t-cell immunity, hydroxychloroquine and "The Truth."
#Covid19
Yesterday evening I received my Covid-19 vaccine. Then I went to a frozen lake to dance Bhangra on it for joy, hope and positivity, which I'm forwarding across Canada and beyond for everyone's health and wellbeing.
Over the years, you get used to seeing your name and mug in miniature in the paper.🗞 But seeing my almost life-sized head in a full-page ad is quite another matter. Yikes!
via
@globeandmail
#journalism
'Accurate, fair, unbiased information' is a public right, argues
@LisaLaFlamme_
. 'If you let
#journalism
die, you are irreparably damaging your democracy,' the veteran journalist says
via
@cbcideas
‘Bring back the damn mask mandates ’ -- Here are six things Ontario needs to do to lift the province out of the pandemic muddle that has left the public vulnerable and confused:
@OttawaCitizen
editorial via
@egpayne
#COVID19
#onpoli
#cdnhealth
I am very grateful to
@DFisman
.
For his leadership.
For his courage.
For educating us.
For standing up for science.
Science experts should not have to face personal attacks. Science experts should not be silenced.
#ThankYouDavidFisman
🙏🏾