New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that's worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States.

Adults with blood cancers respond to booster, not initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine

People with hematologic malignancies—or blood cancers including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma—have an impaired immune system due to their disease and its treatment, putting them at risk of severe COVID-19 infection and experiencing a reduced response to COVID-19 vaccination. In a recent study published by Wiley online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, less than half of patients with hematologic malignancies mounted detectable antibodies after initial COVID-19 vaccination, but 56% of "nonresponders" produced antibodies after receiving a booster dose.

Ukraine war and refugee health

For health care providers who may be caring for Ukrainians displaced by the war, a new analysis published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides an overview of health and clinical considerations in this population. It also highlights the key gaps in the Canadian health care systems that need to be addressed to deliver equitable care to refugees and other migrants.

Quality and safety of hospital care improves when physicians and patients speak the same language

Speaking the same language as their physician can make for healthier patients, new research using ICES data confirms. Frail, older patients admitted to hospital who received care from physicians who spoke their primary language had shorter hospital stays, fewer falls and infections, and were less likely to die in hospital, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).