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Not everyone on board with the latest mask moves The Ontario government announced earlier this week it will be lifting the COVID-19 mask mandate in many indoor public settings including gyms, schools and large event spaces on March 21. And it will be dropping the requirement in all remaining settings, such as long-term care homes, April 27. Meanwhile, B.C. health officials announced Thursday that the province will remove its order requiring masks in all indoor public spaces as of Friday. Saskatchewan and Quebec were the first to ease mask mandates, on Feb. 28, and Alberta did so on March 1. New Brunswick restrictions are set to end March 14, and Nova Scotia follows suit March 21. Ontario’s top doctor, Dr. Kieran Moore, said the province’s move is another step in how the province can "live and manage COVID-19." But some say it’s too soon. Toronto pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman is advising her patients to continue to wear masks. "I feel that it's a bit early to lift the mask mandate … I worry particularly about children that are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated and children that are more vulnerable from a medical perspective," she said. Read the details about Ontario’s new mask rules here. 
COVID-19 can cause brain shrinkage, memory loss: study A new study out of the United Kingdom this week found COVID-19 can cause the brain to shrink, lead to memory loss and damage areas that control the sense of smell. "There is strong evidence for brain-related abnormalities in COVID-19," the researchers said in the study released Monday. The damaging effects to the brain were seen even seen in people with mild cases, who had not been hospitalized with COVID-19. What wasn’t clear, though, was whether the impact could be reversed or if the effects would persist in the long term. The study was conducted when the Alpha variant was dominant in Britain. 
Q: I had my booster shot in early December. Should I be worried about waning immunity any time soon? I haven't had COVID-19 as far as I know. I am 64 years old.
Since getting your third shot in December 2021, you will have diminished antibody levels, which may make you more vulnerable to an infection, according to Jennifer Gommerman, an immunologist with the University of Toronto. “However, if you (are) healthy — not immunocompromised — then (you) are well-protected against being severe COVID-19 caused by any circulating variant, including Omicron,” she said. Gommerman added that it is too soon to say when and how often additional booster shots for COVID-19 may be needed. Fourth doses are currently being offered to vulnerable populations in some provinces. | 
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