Health | The Walrus

Psychedelic-style illustration of a man wearing a white coat and large goggles to protect his eyes. In the goggles' reflection, we see two hands pouring brightly-coloured material from one into the other. His hair is a spectrum of brightly-coloured waves.

Health / May 2020

Why It’s So Hard to Legalize Recreational Drugs

April 28, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Jonah Brunet

Scientists believe that newly invented psychoactive substances might have untapped health benefits. Too bad none of us will ever get to try them

Health

Record of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020August 6, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

COVID-19 has transformed our world. The Walrus explores these changes and asks what comes next

Illustration of a small bird, perched inside a glass vase on the stem of a flower. The background is a light turquoise blue.

April 2020 / Health

When Is a Senior No Longer Capable of Making Their Own Decisions?

March 18, 2020July 24, 2020 - by Sharon J. Riley

How our medical systems strip elders of their autonomy

An illustration of a person peeking through their fingers. Their eyeball is the shape of the COVID-19 germ (a small round microbe with protrusions that look like the spokes of a crown).

Health / May 2020

Anatomy of a Pandemic

March 11, 2020June 2, 2020 - by Kevin Patterson

Like major contagions throughout history, the new coronavirus causes fear as well as illness. The remedy for both, it turns out, is the same

Two rows of people are lined up to walk through a door marked with a red cross symbol. About half of the people are clad all in white, while the other half are clad in colours representing the Pride rainbow.

Health / March 2020

How Universal Health Care Fails Queer Communities

February 10, 2020March 27, 2020 - by Brianna Sharpe

A lack of data from LGBTQ Canadians creates holes in our medical system

A pair of hands attempts to plug in an insulin pump, but the screen displays a red sad face. The hands are surrounded by syringes and pills against a mint-green background.

Health / January/February 2020

Hacking Diabetes

January 7, 2020June 22, 2020 - by Jonathan Garfinkel

A network of amateur programmers is transforming the illness with a DIY app

Health / Society

The Decade in Relationships

December 31, 2019February 21, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

From the racism of online dating to mourning through technology, here are the relationship conversations that helped define Canada

Health

The Decade in Health

December 14, 2019February 21, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

From the rising opioid crisis to the danger of concussions in sports, these are the health conversations that helped define Canada

A pair of doctor's hands in blue gloves, clutching an armful of blood-filled test tubes against a white coat.

December 2019 / Health

The Hidden Costs of Medical Testing

November 19, 2019March 27, 2020 - by Carine Abouseif

Each year, doctors order more than a million tests that patients don’t actually need. Some are even harmful

A doctor's stethoscope lying against a solid blue background.

Health

How Literature Can Lead to Better Health Care

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 - by Paul Adams

Doctors face constant pressure to be resilient. Can the arts address the deeper problems that self-care can’t?