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COVID cases creep higher Global COVID-19 case counts were up eight per cent last week from the previous week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday, while cautioning that is just the “tip of the iceberg.” Much of that uptick so far has been seen in China and parts of Europe. So what might that mean for us here in Canada? Just because cases are rising globally, that doesn’t mean Canadians will necessarily see another wave of the pandemic or a lockdown, experts say. "Western Europe is probably a better area for us to look at when we think to ourselves what could happen to us this spring," said infectious disease expert Dr. Gerald Evans. "They're a little bit ahead of what we've been doing here in Canada." "Is that going to be a wave? That's the part that's a little more difficult to be certain about. It has a lot to do with whether Canadians will completely abandon all the public health measures.” A combination of factors are contributing to the global rise in cases, including the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, the BA.2 sub-variant and the lifting of public health and social measures, according to the WHO. On Friday, Canada’s top doctor, Dr. Theresa Tam, made it clear that it’s still a good idea to take protective measures — like mask-wearing — to guard against COVID-19, even if your jurisdiction isn’t mandating it. Read more from Global News reporter Aya Al-Hakim here. 
Kids are suffering from long COVID, too As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, experts are still trying to determine the impact of so-called long COVID — when symptoms last at least a month after a person is diagnosed with the virus. And while kids are less likely to experience severe outcomes, the impact of long COVID has taken a toll on many children who have caught the disease. A recent study suggests that one in four children and adolescents will suffer some form of post-COVID-19 symptoms with mood swings, fatigue, and sleep disorders being the most common. Cardiorespiratory symptoms, such as chest pain and tightness, variations in their heart rate and palpitations are less common but are reported in the study that analyzed over 80,000 people aged between 0 and 18 years. British mom Claire Hastie’s twin boys, William and James, have been struggling with long COVID for the past two years. The teenagers caught the infection three times, Hastie tells Global News. Their symptoms have ranged from severe headaches, chest pain, body aches, diarrhea to feet blisters caused by a condition called COVID toes, nosebleeds and seizure-like episodes. Saba Aziz has more on the impact of long COVID on kids and teens here. 
Q: I am 4 months pregnant with my first child and have a short domestic trip planned in a few weeks that requires me to fly. Should I reconsider given easing restrictions and the BA.2 variant? I am fully vaccinated and was boosted in January. Obviously doing nothing is always going to be the safer option, says pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Cora Constantinescu. “Everyone needs to make their own decisions, as no on can predict whether (you) will get infected,” she said. “But I suspect the COVID cases will only increase. Having been boosted, taking precautions and travelling now versus at a peak of a wave are all protective, but nothing is 100 per cent protective.” Constantinescu added that she thinks things will only get worse in terms of COVID-19, and advised flying now while you still can. “Having been boosted is very reassuring,” she said. “I would wear good-fitting masks everywhere.” | 
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