covid daily update: can cannabis help?

do regular cannabis users have less severe covid cases?

a small-scale study published in the journal of cannabis research found that people who regularly used cannabis had better outcomes during hospitalization for covid than people who don’t use the drug.

the cannabis users in the study had shorter hospital stays, less need for ventilators, and were admitted to the icu at lower rates, forbes reported . the results could be due to the medicinal properties of cannabis, especially its use as an anti-inflammatory.

calgary study want to help kids get over needle fear

a new study at the university of calgary is looking to help. recruiters are seeking families of children between the ages of four and 11 who haven’t yet had their covid shot. they’re hoping to develop strategies that will make immunization easier for kids, their parents and their doctors.

“we want our kids to be vaccinated, and there’s a lot of excitement right now among many that health canada has approved   covid-19 vaccines for kids under five,” said dr. melanie noel, a member of the alberta children’s hospital research institute and the hotchkiss brain institute, told the calgary herald .

staffing shortages a massive problem for hospitals

as covid cases continue to rise, hospitals are getting more and more short-staffed, with hundreds of medical professionals leaving their difficult, chaotic and high-stress jobs. nurses, particularly, are leaving in droves. in ontario, nursing unions say the province could address the problem by repealing bill 124 , legislation that caps their wages.

every wave of the pandemic has brought new challenges to the health-care system, dr. chris simpson, a cardiologist in kingston, ont., told cbc news . now, the biggest problem is that hospitals simply don’t have the staff they need.