Amidst the surge of viral infections in Ontario, McMaster University reminds students of free masks on campus and encourages students to wear masks when indoors
On Nov. 14, Ontario’s chief medical officer, Kieran Moore, strongly urged Ontarians to wear masks in indoor public spaces and take other safety precautions, such as screening for symptoms and staying home when ill, to avoid spreading viruses.
“That means [wearing masks] on transit, at work, in schools and daycares, even at home if someone is sick,” said Moore in a press conference.
This recommendation from Moore comes amidst the massive surge of viral infections in Ontario and across the country, due to the convergence of RSV, influenza and COVID-19. This wave of illness has placed especially great strain on children’s healthcare, as unprecedented numbers of children have gotten sick and children’s hospitals have struggled to keep up.
This recommendation from Moore comes amidst the massive surge of viral infections in Ontario and across the country, due to the convergence of RSV, influenza and COVID-19. This wave of illness has placed especially great strain on children’s healthcare, as unprecedented numbers of children have gotten sick and children’s hospitals have struggled to keep up.
At the McMaster Children’s Hospital, wait times for emergency services are advertised on the website as being longer than usual. As well, the hospital announced on Nov. 12 that it would transfer 16- and 17-year-old surgical patients needing to be admitted from the MCH to adult sites at Hamilton Health Sciences. Further, as per recommendations by the province, critically ill patients ages 14 and older are being transferred to other HHS sites as well, when medically appropriate.
In response to the increased number of viral infections this season, McMaster University released a statement on Nov. 15 reminding community members that they are strongly encouraged to wear masks and remain up to date on vaccinations for both COVID-19 and influenza. However, the university has not mandated that students wear masks anywhere on campus, with the exception of healthcare spaces.
“McMaster has been consistent in promoting the use of masks and continues to consult with our faculty experts for their insights and advice. They are recommending the university continue with its current directions to encourage the community to wear masks, especially in crowded settings,” said the university in their statement.
At the University of Western Ontario, masks are currently required in instructional spaces. Ontario Tech University currently requires masks in all university buildings. Many other Ontario schools, such as Queens University and Toronto Metropolitan University, do not have mask mandates in place but are instead strongly recommending that students wear masks indoors.
At the University of Western Ontario, masks are currently required in instructional spaces. Ontario Tech University currently requires masks in all university buildings. Many other Ontario schools, such as Queens University and Toronto Metropolitan University, do not have mask mandates in place but are instead strongly recommending that students wear masks indoors.
McMaster's statement also reminded students that the university is continuing to give out free masks at various locations on campus. Finally, it pointed students to resources for booking their flu shots and COVID-19 bivalent boosters.
Flu vaccination clinics in Hamilton can be found here, and COVID-19 vaccination clinics can be found here.
Travis Nguyen/Photo Editor
Shorter days and longer nights from daylights savings have mental and physical effects
Don’t get me wrong, I love the colder seasons. Halloween, Christmas, doing winter festivities, the snow and much more. But I do not like when it’s pitch black outside by 5 p.m. and the day that felt as though it just started is already done.
It confuses me because, although I’ll still have classes, meetings or work after the sun sets, it becomes hard for my brain to wrap around the notion that I’ll be working for hours in complete darkness.
We may not truly even realize it, but we do rely on the sun for a lot. When it comes to the simplicities of aiding our health, the sun is a great mood booster and important for your physical health as a whole.
Light is the most powerful regulator of our internal clock, known as our circadian rhythm. In fact, some people may not even adjust to the time change after several months. We also rely on the sun everyday without even knowing.
We use it as a way to tell time in our day-to-day lives. It nurtures the food and plants that we need, it keeps our ecosystems growing and it keeps our earth moving. With these shorter and colder days, we see the sun less, which has large effects on us both physically and mentally.
The shorter and colder days can also cause depression to increase in prevalence. The darkness and coldness limits how often we go out and we can begin to feel isolated. As university students, it becomes difficult for many to have the motivation to do work when it feels as though it is night-time and one should be unwinding instead.
This is where seasonal affective disorder comes in, also known as seasonal depression or the winter blues. One way to recognize the symptoms of SAD is if you feel normal during spring and summer, then feel drained with your energy and mood as days get shorter during winter, almost like you want to hibernate.
As the semester is either ending or a new one is starting at this time of the year, our stress is at its peak and the effects of daylight savings can have immense effects on us physically as well.
The lack of sunlight can cause cluster headaches that can cause pain for days or weeks on end. If you’re not getting enough sleep during this transition, this can lead to increased levels of a hormone called ghrelin which regulates hunger and may cause an increase in appetite.
It is important that you keep your mental health in check and professionals recommend taking Vitamin D supplements during this time, seeking help if you need it, eating healthier and maintaining some kind of physical activity during the cold months.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, focusing on one’s self and still taking it easy will help immensely. It is a difficult shift for many, but attempting to balance everything in a healthy way can improve one’s physical and mental health during these cold months.
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
Does it seem like everyone is getting into relationships these days? You may be witnessing the social phenomenon referred to as “cuffing season.” SHEC is here to answer questions you never thought to ask.
What in the world is cuffing season?
“Cuffing” describes the supposed biological urge to find romantic or sexual partners (or both) when the autumn season commences. The intention is to “cuff” a companion to stay with throughout the upcoming winter months.
Is it real?
On its face, the theory does seem reasonable — as days get shorter and leaves begin to fall, the autumn season can put a damper on the fun and carelessness of summertime. Some may feel lonely on increasingly dark nights and seek the company of a special someone. Why wouldn’t we seek out the company and closeness of others with the impending frigidity of a Canadian winter? In fact, a study in the journal Emotion published in 2011 purported that humans associated colder temperatures with increased loneliness and solitude. Nonetheless, cuffing season remains to be verified as a real, scientifically based theory.
What biological reasons can explain the phenomenon of cuffing season?
It can likely be explained from an evolutionary perspective. Since the term “cuffing season” does not sound very scientific, and no research has been done on the subject, I can only invent an argument to explain it. For example, it would surely be advantageous for a primate to share body heat with a partner in the cold fall and winter months.
Those are interesting physiological theories. Are there any possible strategic explanations?
Yes, certainly. A relationship may facilitate the acquisition of resources, mainly food that the couple can share. Also, going on romantic dates might mitigate the effects of the oncoming Seasonal Affective Disorder that results from the bad weather.
But really, how healthy are relationships, with two people drawn together by the cold?
I would not jump to the conclusion that these relationships are necessarily unhealthy. Every relationship has a unique starting point or a trigger, some more romantic and perhaps warmer than others. However, to the individuals who are feeling the desire for some warm romantic cuddles, I would proceed with caution. Be honest — first to yourself and then to your potential cuff mate — about what you want out of this relationship. Perhaps a good test to see if you’ve fallen into the cuffing trap is to ask yourself if you would want the same relationship in the summer. Once successfully cuffed, make sure to check in with your partner every so often to ensure everyone is still on the same blanket, especially as the days get warmer. A last word of advice for those feeling colder and lonelier as the days get longer and darker: friends can offer some lovely cuddling benefits too, without the risk of heartbreak!
Photo Credit: Arno Burgi/Getty Images
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Grace Bocking
On behalf of all students, I would like to commend you for your impeccable timing. You somehow managed to coordinate your arrival with the start of a new semester, and I couldn’t think of a better way of welcoming us back if I tried. Truly, nothing motivates me to jump back in to school more than the promise of blistering winds in my face. It’s just what I need to get me out of bed in the morning.
For a while there, I had been convinced that you weren’t planning on showing up at all. I had spent the break mitten-less and with my coat unzipped, so you can imagine how overjoyed I was to learn of your sudden return. I always did like that about you, your spontaneity. There really is no better surprise than being caught in -15 degree weather without a hat or gloves. After all, nothing can beat that moment of pure bliss when your extremities finally lose all feeling. Sure, the first few pages of my lecture notes may not be entirely legible because my fingers were still in the process of thawing, but it’s not like I had anything better to do than rewrite them when I got home.
While some like to complain about the chill in the air, I can only revel in the many joys it brings to my everyday existence. I’d have to say that one of my favourite things about you, cold weather, is the eternally drippy nose you cause. Sniffles are the unofficial sound of the season—a symphony that echoes through every lecture hall for four to five months each year. I mean really, there is no more pleasant sight than that of a floor littered with discarded tissues. And if a nose that runs like a faucet wasn’t enough to warm me to the cold, the copious amount of clothing I have to layer on before venturing outside definitely did the trick. I had been searching for an excuse to wear that hideous-yet-undeniably warm sweater I had been given for Secret Santa this year, and now I have the perfect opportunity.
So, cold weather, I am glad to have been able to take this brief moment to give you the appreciation that you truly deserve. The fact of the matter is that you can only last for so long. We likely only have three more months of you left to enjoy – four, if we’re lucky. Time flies when you’re freezing, so please, stick around for as long as you’d like.
Signed,
Winter’s number one fan
