Letters to The Province, Nov. 27, 2021: How it all went wrong — the flood of 2021
Despite a plethora of reports and recommendations, the provincial government has failed in its duty on many counts. First, by ignoring the precautionary principle and providing adequate flood plain remediation and updated safety protocols. Second, in their delayed response to an emergency situation. Third, by hampering rescuers and evacuation attempts in an attempt to save face. Fourth, by ignoring the desperate plight of the surviving animals who are drowning, in deep water, starving, and freezing, as it is cheaper to write them off as an insurance expense. Fifth, and worst of all, they are promising to “build it all back.”
Animal -lover Glynn Steel died of COVID after a two-week battle in intensive care. (SWNS)
A vegan who refused a COVID jab in a stand against animal testing has died from the virus.
Glynn Steel, 54, died on 16 November after a two-week battle in intensive care, during which he is said to have begged nurses for a vaccination.
According to his wife Emma, his last words were: "I have never felt so ill, I wish I'd had the vaccine."
She is now calling on people to take up the vaccine, saying she has been left facing "an empty future alone".
News of his death comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to get jabbed so the country is in a strong position for Christmas amid growing fears over the new Omicron variant.
Steel, 54, from Malvern, Worcestershire, refused the COVID vaccine in a stand against animal testing, his wife said. (SWNS)
Steel's widow said her husband, who was two months away from his 55th birthday, when he planned to retire and spend more time travelling and looking after animals, had refused the vaccine after reading it had been tested on animals.
The 50-year-old, who is double-jabbed, said: "I insist to everyone I know to get the vaccine.
"The last thing Glynn said to me was ‘I have never felt so ill, I wish that I had had the vaccine’. It was heart wrenching.
"He begged for the vaccine when he was in intensive care before he went on life support but they said that it was too late.
"He was a very gentle soul, he was a vegan and didn't want the Covid vaccine because it was tested on animals."
Steel's wife said his last words were that he wished he had been vaccinated. (SWNS)
Steel, from Malvern, Worcestershire, tested positive for coronavirus on 27 October after symptoms of a cold gradually got worse.
His condition deterioriated rapidly, prompting his wife to call an ambulance on 2 November.
But with none available, she took her unconscious husband to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where she said there were 12 ambulances queuing outside when she arrived.
He was admitted to intensive care but by 10 November was put life support and in an induced coma. He died within 20 minutes of his life support being turned off, she said.
"I was with him when he died. I was wearing a full PPE kit so I couldn't touch him, but they played his favourite music by the Sex Pistols and I stayed with him until the end."
Steel's niece Charlotte Steel has launched a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising money for the funeral: https://ift.tt/3xvt5sC.
As we come up on year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to keep yourself and your loved ones protected from both viruses.
For nearly two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has been at the center of everyone’s lives. With COVID-19 taking up most of the spotlight, it can be easy to forget that the flu season is upon us.
Considering the recent approval for COVID-19 booster vaccines, it is still important to receive your yearly flu vaccine. There have been some misconceptions circulating the web regarding the safety of taking these two vaccines together. The short answer is both vaccines are safe to take together, but we hope this article will clear this up.
Do I need a flu shot this year?
Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends receiving a flu shot this year. Last year showed historically low transmission for influenza around the world. Individuals were less likely to get sick with the flu due to social distancing, wearing masks, increased hand washing and heightened awareness of sanitizing commonly touched surfaces.
Despite these favorable trends last year, the CDC reported that the number of detections of influenza virus reported by public health laboratories has increased in recent weeks. Peak flu season is usually between December and February. Receiving the flu vaccine before then will ensure that you can protect yourself and those around you from severe illness.
Can I get my flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time?
Yes, the CDC recently gave the green light for people to take the flu vaccine along with the COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit. When the COVID-19 vaccine was first distributed, officials recommended that the shot be separated from other vaccines by two weeks.
However, the CDC now has enough experience with the COVID-19 vaccine to show that it is safe to give together with the flu vaccine. It has been shown that the immunity that our bodies generate are similar when vaccines are given with other vaccines versus when given alone.
If you are to receive both vaccines on the same day, the CDC encourages that they be given in different arms to prevent excess muscle soreness in any one limb.
Where can I get my flu and COVID-19 shots at?
There are several places to receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccine. Your local pharmacy is a convenient option for anyone wanting to receive these vaccines. Make sure you call the pharmacy and ask them what vaccines they have available and if they are taking walk-ins or appointments.
In addition, UI student health is offering flu vaccines at the main Westlawn clinic and at the Iowa Memorial Union. Students can walk into the IMU Nurse care clinic in the lower level IMU (by Java House) without an appointment to get their flu vaccine.
Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. The clinic is closed 1- 1:30 p.m. daily. Another option is to call 319-335-8394 to schedule a vaccine appointment in the main clinic at Westlawn, or call your doctor’s office for potential vaccine appointment dates.
It takes 14 days for full immunity to develop from a flu vaccine so before traveling for winter break, consider receiving both your influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. This will ensure that you and your family can remain protected and have a safe holiday season.
-Tyler Wempen, Fourth-year year University of Iowa Pharmacy Student, Class of 2022
Elgin and Oxford counties have not yet flattened the curve on a recent COVID case spike, the region’s top doctor says, giving notice of tighter restrictions coming for indoor public spaces early next week.
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Southwestern Public Health, the health unit in the two counties near London, is still seeing rising case counts and will release a letter of instruction to businesses and organizations early next week reintroducing capacity and physical distancing restrictions.
“We’re not yet flattening our curve. Our curve is going uphill,” medical officer of health Joyce Lock said Friday. “Hopefully everybody will understand that we’ve tried to position this letter of instruction to be effective and the least hurtful to people, in terms of curtailing what they do as the weeks go by before Christmas.”
Medical officers of health in the province can use letters of instruction to create additional restrictions that are not included in the Reopening Ontario Act. The requirements in the letter are considered mandatory and enforceable under the act.
, has had to transfer four COVID-19 patients to area intensive care units, three to London and one to Stratford.
At the time of its public alert on Nov. 12, the St. Thomas hospital was caring for 13 COVID-19 patients. The number has risen as high as 18 since then, but was at 15 as of Friday, a hospital spokesperson said.
The hospital had six COVID-19 patients in intensive care Friday and continues to see high numbers of infected people in its emergency department.
Southwestern Public Health has been monitoring the local case spike for weeks, but did not want to slap down tighter public health restrictions without doing its due diligence, Lock said.
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“We’d hoped to have the new restrictions out this week, but it is a decision that requires very careful thought,” Lock said, adding the health unit has good COVID-19 vaccine coverage overall.
“It was a matter of doing this in a way that leads to improvement and flattening the curve, but still taking into consideration the many people who have gotten their two doses. We had to weigh a lot of issues.”
The health unit, which serves approximately 200,000 people, is reporting 181 active cases. Of those,
The Middlesex-London Health Unit, with a population of nearly 500,000 people, has 133 active cases.
The Thames Valley District school board announced Friday it is delaying the reopening of Port Burwell elementary school by three days after a COVID-19 outbreak shuttered the Elgin County school.
Students were supposed to return for in-person classes Monday, but the school will now reopen Thursday, the board said. Southwestern Public Health is reporting active COVID-19 outbreaks in five schools as of Friday.
Southwestern reported 24 new COVID-19 cases Friday, while Middlesex-London added 13.
On Friday, the province announced six additional COVID-19 deaths and 927 new cases, the highest one-day case count since early September.
