Christine Birak
@christinebirak.bsky.social
Journalist, Health & Science @ CBC National News.
Reposted by Christine Birak
Alberta's measles outbreaks surpass case counts reported for entire U.S. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-s-measles-outbreaks-surpass-case-counts-reported-for-entire-u-s-1.7584490
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
July 14, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Alberta's measles outbreaks surpass case counts reported for entire U.S. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-s-measles-outbreaks-surpass-case-counts-reported-for-entire-u-s-1.7584490
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
Reposted by Christine Birak
How a new ‘smart’ therapy, adaptive deep brain stimulation, is pushing boundaries for #Parkinson patients, by @christinebirak.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLqk... via @cbcnews.ca #DBS #neuroscience
How a new ‘smart’ therapy is pushing boundaries for Parkinson’s patients
YouTube video by CBC News: The National
www.youtube.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:48 PM
How a new ‘smart’ therapy, adaptive deep brain stimulation, is pushing boundaries for #Parkinson patients, by @christinebirak.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLqk... via @cbcnews.ca #DBS #neuroscience
Reposted by Christine Birak
Here’s an Inconvenient Truth: Disease Is in the Air. We ignored the science of airborne transmission for a century. In his new book, "Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, "Carl Zimmer tells us why, by @crof.bsky.social thetyee.ca/Culture/2025... via @thetyee.ca
Here’s an Inconvenient Truth: Disease Is in the Air | The Tyee
We ignored the science of airborne transmission for a century. Carl Zimmer tells us why.
thetyee.ca
May 17, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Here’s an Inconvenient Truth: Disease Is in the Air. We ignored the science of airborne transmission for a century. In his new book, "Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, "Carl Zimmer tells us why, by @crof.bsky.social thetyee.ca/Culture/2025... via @thetyee.ca
Reposted by Christine Birak
Canadians face sticker shock for primary care at private clinics. A shortage of family doctors across Canada is pushing people to pay thousands a year in out-of-pocket fees www.cbc.ca/news/health/... via @cbcnews.ca @christinebirak.bsky.social
Canadians heading to vote face sticker shock for primary care at private clinics | CBC News
Some clinics charge thousands a year for primary care and out-of-pocket fees while an estimated 6.5 million Canadian adults don't have a regular health-care provider like a family doctor or nurse prac...
www.cbc.ca
April 21, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Canadians face sticker shock for primary care at private clinics. A shortage of family doctors across Canada is pushing people to pay thousands a year in out-of-pocket fees www.cbc.ca/news/health/... via @cbcnews.ca @christinebirak.bsky.social
Reposted by Christine Birak
Canadians going to vote face sticker shock for health care at private clinics www.cbc.ca/news/health/... @christinebirak.bsky.social @ritamc.bsky.social
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
April 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Canadians going to vote face sticker shock for health care at private clinics www.cbc.ca/news/health/... @christinebirak.bsky.social @ritamc.bsky.social
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
Reposted by Christine Birak
‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the Crown Jewel of American Science. Scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies, by Gina Kolata www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/h... via @nytimes.com
‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the N.I.H., the Crown Jewel of American Science
Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like obesity, heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies.
www.nytimes.com
March 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM
‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the Crown Jewel of American Science. Scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies, by Gina Kolata www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/h... via @nytimes.com
Reposted by Christine Birak
Scientists were wrong about how quickly the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate. Here's what actually happened — and what it could tell us about future viruses.
What the COVID-19 pandemic tells us about how viruses evolve : Short Wave
Early in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists predicted the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate slowly. They were wrong. Hundreds of thousands of viral mutations and multiple seasonal waves la...
www.npr.org
March 24, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Scientists were wrong about how quickly the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate. Here's what actually happened — and what it could tell us about future viruses.
Reposted by Christine Birak
5 years after the pandemic, COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror for most Canadians, yet its effects live on
Some of my💭 with CBC/@radiocanadainfo.bsky.social
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
Some of my💭 with CBC/@radiocanadainfo.bsky.social
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
How COVID changed Canadians, their health and the future | CBC News
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, its effects live on and continue to have an impact on the health of Canadians. Here's a look back at some of them, including the effectiveness of e...
www.cbc.ca
March 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
5 years after the pandemic, COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror for most Canadians, yet its effects live on
Some of my💭 with CBC/@radiocanadainfo.bsky.social
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
Some of my💭 with CBC/@radiocanadainfo.bsky.social
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
Reposted by Christine Birak
Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.
Heat can age you as much as smoking, a new study finds
Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.
www.npr.org
March 18, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.
Reposted by Christine Birak
What’s the big deal about flu?
A 🇨🇦study in @nejm.org from 2018
TL;DR ➡️ 📈 risk of heart attacks💔
(other studies also show 📈risk of strokes 🧠)
Let me tell you about an elxir that can prevent that: it’s called a 💉
A 🇨🇦study in @nejm.org from 2018
TL;DR ➡️ 📈 risk of heart attacks💔
(other studies also show 📈risk of strokes 🧠)
Let me tell you about an elxir that can prevent that: it’s called a 💉
Acute Myocardial Infarction after Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Infection | NEJM
Acute myocardial infarction can be triggered by acute respiratory infections. Previous
studies have suggested an association between influenza and acute myocardial infarction,
but those studies use...
www.nejm.org
February 15, 2025 at 6:51 PM
What’s the big deal about flu?
A 🇨🇦study in @nejm.org from 2018
TL;DR ➡️ 📈 risk of heart attacks💔
(other studies also show 📈risk of strokes 🧠)
Let me tell you about an elxir that can prevent that: it’s called a 💉
A 🇨🇦study in @nejm.org from 2018
TL;DR ➡️ 📈 risk of heart attacks💔
(other studies also show 📈risk of strokes 🧠)
Let me tell you about an elxir that can prevent that: it’s called a 💉
Reposted by Christine Birak
‘Perfect storm of bad news’ -- #Homelessness has soared in Ontario since the last provincial election. Between 2022 and 2024, the province’s known homeless population shot up by 25 per cent to 81,515 people, by Victoria Gibson www.thestar.com/politics/pro... via @thestar.com #sdoh
‘Perfect storm of bad news’: Homelessness has soared in Ontario since the last provincial election
A report released in January showed that between 2022 and 2024, the province’s known homeless population shot up by 25 per cent to 81,515 people.
www.thestar.com
February 11, 2025 at 4:23 PM
‘Perfect storm of bad news’ -- #Homelessness has soared in Ontario since the last provincial election. Between 2022 and 2024, the province’s known homeless population shot up by 25 per cent to 81,515 people, by Victoria Gibson www.thestar.com/politics/pro... via @thestar.com #sdoh
Reposted by Christine Birak
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has much bigger things than tariffs to worry about now -- a health care scandal alleging there were procurement deals with friends of the UCP that cost more than comparable options, by Gary Mason www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti... via @theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: Danielle Smith has much bigger things than tariffs to worry about now
A former Alberta Health Services CEO has made stunning allegations of government interference on behalf of private companies in health care deals
www.theglobeandmail.com
February 11, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has much bigger things than tariffs to worry about now -- a health care scandal alleging there were procurement deals with friends of the UCP that cost more than comparable options, by Gary Mason www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti... via @theglobeandmail.com
Reposted by Christine Birak
Albertans deserved an honest post-pandemic review. Instead, they got a report littered with contrarian, anti-science talking points that have been debunked, by @bradenmannsyyc.bsky.social @antibioticdoc.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... @theglobeandmail.com #COVID19 #infodemic
Albertans deserved a post-pandemic review. Instead, they got misinformation cloaked in science
The Alberta COVID-19 Pandemic Data Review Task Force report is littered with anti-science talking points, many already debunked by fact-checkers
www.theglobeandmail.com
February 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Albertans deserved an honest post-pandemic review. Instead, they got a report littered with contrarian, anti-science talking points that have been debunked, by @bradenmannsyyc.bsky.social @antibioticdoc.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... @theglobeandmail.com #COVID19 #infodemic
Reposted by Christine Birak
Rare bird flu strain found in California raises potential of wider spread. First U.S. detection of virulent #H5N9 strain, at a California duck farm, draws scrutiny as evidence of genetic re-assortment that could trigger human outbreaks, by @fenitn.bsky.social wapo.st/4jArJ7u via @washingtonpost.com
Rare bird flu strain found in California raises potential of wider spread
First U.S. detection of virulent H5N9 strain, at a California duck farm, draws scrutiny as evidence of genetic reassortment that could trigger human outbreaks.
wapo.st
January 30, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Rare bird flu strain found in California raises potential of wider spread. First U.S. detection of virulent #H5N9 strain, at a California duck farm, draws scrutiny as evidence of genetic re-assortment that could trigger human outbreaks, by @fenitn.bsky.social wapo.st/4jArJ7u via @washingtonpost.com
Reposted by Christine Birak
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse, by @ritamc.bsky.social healthydebate.ca/2024/12/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social @christinebirak.bsky.social #PrimaryCare
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse - Healthy Debate
Boutique clinics are not the future of health care. They are a step backward and are making primary care access worse.
healthydebate.ca
January 4, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse, by @ritamc.bsky.social healthydebate.ca/2024/12/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social @christinebirak.bsky.social #PrimaryCare
It's been a minute! This platform has changed, populated and morphed over the past year+.
January 14, 2025 at 6:26 PM
It's been a minute! This platform has changed, populated and morphed over the past year+.
Reposted by Christine Birak
A new study establishes that soda consumption is doing ever more damage to health — with rising rates of diabetes in regions where soda-drinking is on the rise, like sub-Saharan Africa.
How soda is changing the world
A new study establishes that soda consumption is doing ever more damage to health — with rising rates of diabetes in regions where soda-drinking is on the rise, like sub-Saharan Africa.
www.npr.org
January 14, 2025 at 3:51 PM
A new study establishes that soda consumption is doing ever more damage to health — with rising rates of diabetes in regions where soda-drinking is on the rise, like sub-Saharan Africa.
Reposted by Christine Birak
First post:
British father's quest to piece together the circumstances of his son's suicide led him to a Toronto-area man's website.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kenneth-law-police-investigation-1.6824764
British father's quest to piece together the circumstances of his son's suicide led him to a Toronto-area man's website.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kenneth-law-police-investigation-1.6824764
Suicides abroad prompt police to investigate Ontario website that sold lethal substance | CBC News
A report in the Times of London focusing on an Ontario man's website has prompted a Peel Regional Police investigation. The report linked the defunct site's sale of a toxic substance to multiple suicides overseas. Toxicology experts warn of a troubling increase in suicides involving sodium nitrite.
www.cbc.ca
April 28, 2023 at 12:27 PM
First post:
British father's quest to piece together the circumstances of his son's suicide led him to a Toronto-area man's website.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kenneth-law-police-investigation-1.6824764
British father's quest to piece together the circumstances of his son's suicide led him to a Toronto-area man's website.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kenneth-law-police-investigation-1.6824764
I just read the privacy policy… now I’m not so sure about this… 😳
April 28, 2023 at 2:06 AM
I just read the privacy policy… now I’m not so sure about this… 😳