Janine Vangool

Number of People Chances Anyone is Infectious 1 1.4% 2 2.8% 3 4.2% 4 5.5% 5 6.9% 10 13.3% 15 19.2% 20 24.8% 25 29.9% 30 34.8% 50 50.9% 75 65.6% 100 75.9% 200 94.2% 300 98.6%

Happy Valentine's Day!
❤️💛💜

In a restaurant with 20 other people, there's a 1-in-4 chance of a COVlD exposure today, if nobody is testing/isolating. Risk is higher in the Northeast and especially the Midwest, lower elsewhere.

I choo-choo-choose to protect you from long Covid. A Valentine with a train wearing an n 95 mask and hearts are coming out the smoke stack.

Breaking the chain of transmission shows a lot of love.

Anyone -adults and children- can be debilitated by Covid, even well after the acute phase (initial symptoms), which is why Long Covid has been referred to as a mass-disabling event.

This image describes the Canadian COVID Forecast for the fourteen-day period between Jan 31 - Feb 13, 2026, which is produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada. Alberta's COVID Forecast outlook is SEVERE [no change] with a COVID INDEX SCORE of 18.6 About 1 of every 94 people is infected. Estimated infections this week: 66,800-84,500 What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada? Waste water, infections: SEVERE; 16.7X higher Long COVID: HIGH; 6.8X higher Hospitalizations: SEVERE; 17.5X higher Deaths: SEVERE; 21.5X higher HOW TO HELP: EVERYONE: UPDATE vaccines every 6 months WEAR N95-type masks AVOID indoor social gatherings AVOID crowded non-essential places If you ARE HIGH RISK: ALSO AVOID outdoor social gatherings Who is HIGH RISK? People 60 and older, babies < 1 year, pregnant ALL AGES: immunocompromised OR medically at-risk OR no vaccine or infection in the last 6 months Recommendations are based on the COVID-19 Risk Index from the Peterborough ON Public Health Unit COVID-19 Resources Canada is a grassroots organization of volunteer scientists supporting Canadian COVID responses. Sources, data and methods for the COVID Index are available at www.Covid19Resources.ca

Canadian COVID Forecast Jan 31 - Feb 13, 2026

ALBERTA

SEVERE [no change]

About 1 of every 94 people is infected.

Compared to lowest point of pandemic in Canada:

-Infections: 16.7 x higher
-Long COVID: 6.8 x higher
-Hospitalizations: 17.5 x higher
-Deaths: 21.5 x higher

No more armoured vehicles for ICE! Sign the petition to demand Canada stop exporting military equipment fuelling human rights abuses.

act.gp/4q5gFkK

Stop the Contract: No Canadian Weapons to ICE A Brampton-based armoured-vehicle manufacturer, Roshel, is set to supply ICE with "a rush order" of 20 new bullet- and bomb-resistant tactical vehicles — machines destined for raids that have already ...

I just signed a @theactionnetwork.bsky.social petition: Stop the Contract: No Canadian Weapons to ICE. Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/st...

You’re a genius!

This image describes the Canadian COVID Forecast for the fourteen-day period between Jan 17 - Jan 30, 2026, which is produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada. Canada’s COVID Forecast outlook is VERY HIGH [no change] with a COVID INDEX SCORE of 12.1 About 1 of every 95 people is infected. Estimated infections this week: 303,900-409,500 What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada? Waste water, infections: VERY HIGH; 10.5X higher Long COVID: HIGH; 6.4X higher Hospitalizations: VERY HIGH; 10.6X higher Deaths: SEVERE; 15.1X higher HOW TO HELP: EVERYONE: UPDATE vaccines every 6 months WEAR N95-type masks AVOID indoor social gatherings AVOID crowded non-essential places Who is HIGH RISK? People 60 and older, babies < 1 year, pregnant ALL AGES: immunocompromised OR medically at-risk OR no vaccine or infection in the last 6 months Recommendations are based on the COVID-19 Risk Index from the Peterborough ON Public Health Unit COVID-19 Resources Canada is a grassroots organization of volunteer scientists supporting Canadian COVID responses. Sources, data and methods for the COVID Index are available at www.Covid19Resources.ca

Canadian COVID Forecast Jan 17 - Jan 30, 2026

CANADA

VERY HIGH [no change]

About 1 of every 95 people is infected.

Compared to lowest point of pandemic in Canada:

-Infections: 10.5 x higher
-Long COVID: 6.4 x higher
-Hospitalizations: 10.6 x higher
-Deaths: 15.1 x higher

Five different illustrations from artists with Long COVID in round shapes on a black background. White text with purple highlights reads, “The Sick Times. Drawing the elephant: Nine artists illustrating Long COVID and the ongoing pandemic. By Grae Salisbury."

Illustrators who bravely explore the ongoing pandemic in their work break down stereotypes, contextualize differing experiences, build community, and raise awareness. These artists create spaces where audiences can reflect and engage with stories that can broaden our understanding of ourselves and the world. In this way, art is not only a community-building tool, but also functions as a “mirror”: for those who struggle to look directly at the elephant in the room, they can engage with its reflection. — Grae Salisbury

"These artists have helped me remember that my life is valuable and worth protecting."

Grae Salisbury, an artist with #LongCOVID, rounded up some of their favorite illustrators who bravely explore the ongoing pandemic in their work. bit.ly/4jQ2gY9

If I were paid to do this job, I'd be in the media and on social media every day.
I'd say:
1)get vaccinated for covid and the flu.
2) wear a respirator (N95) mask in crowded indoor spaces like public transit.
3) keep your holiday get-togethers safe by keeping things well ventilated and filtered.

I've been asked by 3 media outlets in the last week to do interviews on the influenza season.

I still haven't seen our new CMOH, appointed Dec 18th, (or old one, for that matter. Or any public health official) in the media on this topic.

For the record, they are acutally paid, to do this.
1/2

A paramedic transports an older man to the emergency department at a hospital in Toronto on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

As H3N2 sweeps across Canada, what to know about flu's heart attack risk https://globalnews.ca/news/11589225/flu-risk-heart-attack/

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁

3 tables showing total expected hospitalizations since Dec 2/21 by province (error range -/+ 10%), total expected ICU admissions since Dec 2/21 by province (error range -/+ 10%), and total expected deaths since Dec 2/21 by province (error range -/+ 10%) Tables available at: https://covid19resources.ca/covid-hazard-index Page 19 (Reported deaths, ICU, hospitalizations by age)

Graph showing Estimated new daily infections resulting in daily life activity-limiting symptoms lasting >3 months, by province, since Dec 2021. (5 week rolling averages) Graph available at: https://covid19resources.ca/covid-hazard-index Page 13 (Long COVID)

Infections in Canada this week are expected to result in 3,800 hospitalizations, 770 deaths (people who die at least 1 year earlier than they would without COVID) and 20,000 new long COVID cases serious enough to limit daily life activities.

Graph showing estimated new daily infections for Canada, the provinces, and territories (5 week rolling averages) Graph available at: https://covid19resources.ca/covid-hazard-index Page 11 (Infections)

WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK?

About 1 in 55 people in Canada is currently infected (521,000-683,000 infections/week).

The most recent estimate for the United States (Dec 15) is 1 in 63 infected (www.pmc19.com/data/index.php).

This image shows gauges with the Dec 20, 2025 - Jan 2, 2026 Forecast scores for Canada, the provinces, & territories. From left to right: Canada: HIGH - 10.0 Alberta: VERY HIGH - 12.4 British Columbia: HIGH - 7.6 Manitoba: VERY HIGH - 10.3 New Brunswick: VERY HIGH - 10.5 Newfoundland & Labrador: HIGH - 9.1 North: VERY HIGH - 10.3 Nova Scotia: HIGH - 9.9 Ontario: HIGH - 9.2 Prince Edward Island: HIGH - 6.6 Quebec: VERY HIGH - 10.4 Saskatchewan: VERY HIGH - 14.0 A text box reads: "The COVID Forecast is calculated from 3 equally weighted categories: 1) Current infections and spread; 2) Healthcare system impact; 3) Mortality. Within each category there is one sub-category for trends over the most recent week (Trends) and one sub-category for current parameter values relative to a specified baseline (Current values). Trends and current values are weighted equally when determining the final score for a category. All Forecast input data and sources are available here (https://datastudio.google.com/embed/u/0/reporting/42b886cf-d661-488e-b7d8-5c5836b55ab6/page/p_2yqs028mwc). Past Forecast scores are available in the table below. Forecast scores are grouped into 4 ranges: MODERATE (1 to <5, white), HIGH (6 to <10, yellow), VERY HIGH (10 to <15, orange), SEVERE (>15 red)."

Canadian COVID Forecast: Dec 20, 2025 - Jan 2, 2026

SEVERE: none
VERY HIGH: AB, MB, NB, North, QC, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, NS, ON, PEI
MODERATE: none

About 1 in 55 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

This is horrible. I hope everyone pulls through.

Plague Poems – The Three-Hundred-and-First Week If they respond (and they will respond) to the mask you wear and the precautions you take by telling you that at this point nobody cares about the pandemic anymore, remember: the fact that they fee…

The start of Covid’s 7th year
is the perfect time to revisit
the pandemic hobbies
you have abandoned:
you can get back to baking
and puzzles, reading
and calling friends;
and you can even get back
into doing what you can
to protect other people.
*
301
librarianshipwreck.wordpress.com/2025/12/19/p...

They’re coming for public health, The case for masks, Avoid giving and getting Covid for the holidays, and more Bonus Will we finally learn the lessons of Covid?

They’re coming for public health, The case for masks, Avoid giving and getting Covid for the holidays, and more

open.substack.com/pub/johndupu...

The Injunction Against Bill 26 Has Been Lifted: Affirming care ban to come into effect. Despite our best efforts, today the Government of Alberta was able to bring an end to the injunction against Bill 26 on the basis of its use of the notwithstanding clause. This is a cruel and dangerous move by a government that will harm vulnerable young people. Egale Canada and Skipping Stone will not stop fighting. Together, with lawyers from McCarthy Tétrault LLP, we will be seeking a new injunction based on constitutional arguments not subject to the notwithstanding clause. To the trans youth and families in this province, know that while the Government has violently taken away your rights, they can never legislate away your transness, your beautiful existence or how deserving you are of all the beauty and happiness this world has to offer.

Heartbreakingly, despite our best efforts, today the Government of Alberta was able to bring an end to the injunction against Bill 26 on the basis of its use of the notwithstanding clause.

This is a cruel and dangerous move by a government that will harm vulnerable young people.

The pandemic is not over! We are not “post-COVID”. Outbreaks in hospitals, acute care, schools are still happening.

A Healthier Holiday Season: Simple Ways to Gather Safely - WHN The holiday season is a time for warmth, connection, and celebration. Whether you’re gathering with family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors, you can take simple, effective steps to reduce the spread ...

Read more about simple, practical ways to gather more safely this season:

👉 whn.global/a-healthier-...

#COVID #COVID19 #Flu #RSV #PublicHealth #InfectionPrevention

How Not to Give or Get COVID for Christmas - WHN No one wants to be sick for the holidays! Gathering with friends and family during the holidays can spread more than just good cheer; some guests could unknowingly pass along a viral illness like COVI...

How Not to Give or Get COVID for Christmas @thewhn.bsky.social

whn.global/how-not-to-g...

Not a single acknowledgment that getting infected (possibly repeatedly) with a novel virus at a very young age can have serious consequences to child development.

***it’s the ongoing, unmitigated pandemic!***

“The increase in vulnerabilities in core areas of development is likely due in large part to broad social changes since the pandemic, including rising rates of poverty and increasing amounts of time kids spend on screens, Dr. Guhn said.”

Hmmmm… what happened in 2020?

“in areas of development that include communication skills and general knowledge, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and physical health and wellbeing, a higher percentage of children are vulnerable compared to the cohort surveyed between 2017 and 2020.”

“The findings are based on data collected from teacher surveys regarding 33,625 children in their kindergarten year between 2021 and 2025.”

More than one third of kindergarteners in B.C. struggle with core development, study finds University of British Columbia research shows young children doing worse in almost every category compared to pre-pandemic levels

“The research shows that young children are doing worse in almost every category of core development compared to pre-pandemic levels.”

Hmmm…

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti...

Thank you for having principles.

Add your COVID advocacy artwork to the WHN bulletin board!