Health | The Walrus

A photograph of two doctors in masks and scrubs staring down at a lit screen in a dim room.

COVID-19 / Health

When Is It Ethical to Test New Treatments for COVID-19?

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 - by Christina Frangou

The challenges of treating a virus that has forced doctors to learn on the job

Illustration of three children on a swingset. The child on the far right looks sad and isn't swinging.

Health / November/December 2020

The Many Ways We’re Failing Our Children’s Mental Health

October 26, 2020October 27, 2020 - by Lauren McGill

Social media pressures, loneliness, and the climate crisis are weighing on today’s youth. The stress is taking its toll

Health

On Being Bipolar

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020 - by Andrea Bennett

Living with a mental illness means always trying to be one of the “good” sick

A woman sitting at a desk in front of a laptop and turning her head to the side, viewed from the back. Her face and shoulders are slightly blurred. She is wearing a white shirt and the wall in front of her is sky blue.

Health

Can Virtual Therapy Replace the Real Thing?

September 21, 2020January 29, 2021 - by Allison Crawford

Frozen screens, echoing voices, Zoom fatigue: the new challenges facing compassionate care

COVID-19 / Health / November/December 2020

How to Vaccinate a Planet

September 15, 2020March 9, 2021 - by Danielle Groen

What it will take to build the fastest inoculation program in history and defeat COVID-19

A man holds up a protest sign that says "Wake up we're dying."

Health

The Pandemic Is Intensifying the Opioid Crisis

September 14, 2020September 17, 2020 - by Alexandra Harvey

Public health measures meant to contain COVID-19 have caused a spike in overdose-related deaths

Illustration of small cartoon people moving freely atop small green platforms––cartwheeling, dancing, and holding hands.

Health

Fat Shaming Shouldn’t Be Part of Our “New Normal”

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 - by Erika Thorkelson

Even in a pandemic, our culture is obsessed with controlling our bodies

Black and white photo of a group of newspaper carriers wearing masks.

COVID-19 / Health / September/October 2020

The Spanish Flu Rewrote History. Will This Pandemic Do the Same?

July 16, 2020July 17, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

Disease magnifies inequality, brings social turmoil, and offers a shot at meaningful change

Photograph of a public men's restroom with sinks and mirrors against a wall. Urinals can be seen in the reflection of the mirrors.

COVID-19 / Health

Why Are Canada’s Public Bathrooms So Inadequate?

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020 - by Lezlie Lowe

Access to clean, safe facilities is crucial for public health—especially during a pandemic

A man in a checkered shirt stands inside a large, barn-shaped building surrounded by chickens. He is holding a chicken in his hands and leaning towards it.

Health

A Warning from the Chickens of the World

July 6, 2020July 8, 2020 - by David Waltner-Toews

How our reliance on mass-produced food increases the risk of pandemics