With COVID-19 now affecting the lives of Canadians on so many levels, people across the country are seeking answers to numerous important questions they have about the novel coronavirus. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

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Is Remdesivir a game-changer?

A major American study suggesting an experimental drug could shorten COVID-19 recovery time is stirring up some optimism, but Canadian infectious disease experts caution itB次元官网网址檚 too early to know how effective it is.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health recently revealed results of a study on the antiviral medication remdesivir, developed by California-based Gilead Sciences, which was tested on 1,063 COVID-19 patients sick enough to be hospitalized.

Officials said recovery in patients using the drug was shortened by 31 per cent B次元官网网址� 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.

But Dr. Gerald Evans, chair of QueenB次元官网网址檚 UniversityB次元官网网址檚 infectious diseases division in Kingston, Ont., says the data from the U.S. study still needs to be peer reviewed and published in a medical journal.

Dr. Ameeta Singh, an infection disease expert at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, says remdesivir definitely looks like it can shorten the duration of the illness, but itB次元官网网址檚 unclear from the study whether it reduces the severity of COVID-19.

B.C. health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the results of the U.S. study look promising, while OntarioB次元官网网址檚 chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams says his team is waiting to be advised by CanadaB次元官网网址檚 clinicians and specialists about the drugB次元官网网址檚 potential.

Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health has said remdesivir is now being evaluated in at least seven major studies.

Singh says she expects the validation process for a drug like remdesivir to move more swiftly than usual, given the pandemic circumstances, but notes approval for a Canada-wide clinical trial could still be weeks away.

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Sunscreen indoors? Experts say UVA can still age skin through windows

Having your home-office space next to a large window can be great for your mood, your eyes and your productivity. But if the sun is shining through, it could also be harmful to your skin.

Experts in dermatology say wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen B次元官网网址� even while indoors B次元官网网址� is necessary to block the UVA rays that might not visibly tan your skin as well as UVB, but will play a role in damaging it.

Dr. Diane Wong is a cosmetic physician and owner of the Glow Medi Spa in Toronto. She says there are two different types of sun protection with sunscreen B次元官网网址� one is a UVB protectant against direct rays when youB次元官网网址檙e in the sun, and the other is UVA protection, which is more of a physical block thatB次元官网网址檚 needed during the winter or through glass.

She says if youB次元官网网址檙e sitting beside a big bright window and youB次元官网网址檙e not putting on your SPF, B次元官网网址測ou have no UVA protection and you can damage your skin.B次元官网网址�

The New York based Skin Cancer Foundation says UVA rays are less intense than UVB, but they penetrate the skin more deeply. UVB does not penetrate through glass.

Meanwhile, for some people, the COVID-19 pandemic has played a role in clearing some more common skin issues like acne.

Staying indoors has meant less exposure to outdoor pollutants that would normally clog pores. Limiting makeup application, which Wong describes as a B次元官网网址渧icious cycleB次元官网网址� for people with problematic skin, has also helped.

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Allergies or COVID? Expert says symptoms differ, but best to take precautions

You feel a sneeze coming on, or a tickle in your throat, and the alarm bells start ringing in your head.

Is it seasonal allergies or is it the beginnings of a COVID-19 infection?

While springtime pollen can cause sneezing, wheezing and watery eyes in allergy sufferers, a Toronto allergist says itB次元官网网址檚 best to take precautions if seasonal symptoms start presenting like those more common in COVID cases.

Dr. Peter Vadas, head physician at the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at St. MichaelB次元官网网址檚 Hospital says B次元官网网址渢here is a real risk here B次元官网网址� or at least a real temptation B次元官网网址� to try to minimize symptoms and brush them off and say: B次元官网网址榳ell, itB次元官网网址檚 only allergy, letB次元官网网址檚 see how things go.B次元官网网址滲次元官网网址�

However, he warns that if it turns out that itB次元官网网址檚 not allergy, and youB次元官网网址檝e been out and about potentially spreading this infection around, B次元官网网址測ouB次元官网网址檝e done an enormous disservice to the public and to yourself.B次元官网网址�

Vadas says the major distinction between allergies and COVID-19 is the presence of fever thatB次元官网网址檚 usually associated with the coronavirus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell as other common symptoms of COVID-19.

Some of those, like coughing, can overlap with hay fever, but Vadas says to watch for multiple symptoms. If just one is present, itB次元官网网址檚 likely not due to COVID-19.

Vadas adds that health-care workers and immunocompromised people should get tested for COVID-19 if theyB次元官网网址檙e worried their symptoms donB次元官网网址檛 quite line up with seasonal allergies.

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Why are there so many protests about stay-at-home orders in North America?

Protests against stay-at-home orders meant to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic are now occurring regularly in the United States, with some also spilling into Canada.

A recent demonstration in Toronto led Ontario Premier Doug Ford to call the participants B次元官网网址渁 bunch of yahoos.B次元官网网址� And a similar protest against coronavirus restrictions happened in Vancouver days earlier.

While most Americans and Canadians seem to be adhering to lockdown measures, experts in sociology, political science and history arenB次元官网网址檛 surprised to see a recent rise in protests.

Alison Meek, an associate professor of American history at Western University in London, Ont., says the U.S. in particular has historically taken issue with allowing the federal government too much power.

But while the U.S. has been no stranger to public protests, Meek says thereB次元官网网址檚 more to these pandemic-related demonstrations, including economic factors and B次元官网网址渁 real anti-science, anti-expert component.B次元官网网址�

She notes that while all the experts are agreed on maintaining physical distancing to curb the spread of the virus, B次元官网网址渢here is a real sense from a lot of Americans of: B次元官网网址榶ou canB次元官网网址檛 tell us what to do.B次元官网网址滲次元官网网址�

Meek says the protesters are going to act on their own instincts, as well as information theyB次元官网网址檙e getting from social media.

A private Facebook group was key in enlisting people for a B次元官网网址淟iberate MinnesotaB次元官网网址� march outside the governorB次元官网网址檚 home, and U.S. President Donald Trump backed the protesters on Twitter, calling to B次元官网网址淟IBERATE MINNESOTAB次元官网网址� right before it happened.

The protests in the U.S. and Canada have been relatively small, but Max Cameron, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, says heB次元官网网址檚 still been B次元官网网址渁ppalledB次元官网网址� by some of the images heB次元官网网址檚 seen, specifically in the U.S.

Cameron adds that while images of protests are hard to see for people adhering to physical distancing, itB次元官网网址檚 important to remember that these demonstrations are depicting a minority.

He says the bigger picture is the B次元官网网址渦nprecedented collective actionB次元官网网址� being done to limit the pandemicB次元官网网址檚 spread.

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