MOORHEAD, MN (Valley News Live) – “Amal’s Christmas Reunion” was inspired by author and star Emma Loliya. The story is connected to her roots as a South Sudanese woman.

“I realized that in such genres there was a need to tell a unique story because it lacked representation. I put myself into a genre like this as a South Sudanese woman,” Loliya said.

Casting director Jessica Hayes says her goal is to honor the story.

“It’s about connecting with the camera, connecting with each other, we want to honor the story,” Hayes said.

When Loliya watches romantic comedies, one of the things that resonates with her is the feelings these films evoke.

“The energy you get when you see that. They’re so exciting, it’s so uplifting,” Loliya said.

Dawer Maciek, himself a South Sudanese, auditioned for “Malik Hassan,” one of the main characters. Maciek felt like he saw a lot of himself in the character.

“A role I lived, you know? I am Sudanese. It just piqued my interest, so let’s give it a try,” Maciek said.

The crew is also looking for funds to support the project. To donate, click here.

Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.

The “Brat” summer may be over, but nothing is truly dead until “Saturday Night Live” gets its hands on it.

In Saturday’s season premiere of the NBC sketch comedy series, Bowen Yang transformed into Charli XCX to host a fictional series called “The Talk Talk Show,” a reference to a song title by the British pop star.

In the segment, Yang welcomed “Australian dingo twink Troye Sivan,” with whom Charli XCX is currently on the Sweat Tour. The “Rush” singer played Sarah Sherman, who lifted up her shirt to reveal her fake washboard abs.

“Troye, are you happy to be here?” Yang asked, to which Sherman replied, “Naur!”

Yang then went through recent events and deemed her either “brat or nat.” The verdict: Hunter Biden’s laptop is “brat” and Mark Robinson’s search history is “nat.” Barron Trump, who goes to NYU, is “Brat,” but NYU itself is “Nat.” Amy Adams in Nightbitch? “Brat.” Charges against Eric Adams? “Nat.”

Yang then brought along the guests from “The Talk Talk Show”: queer nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch and straight CNN icon Kaitlan Collins, played by “SNL” host Jean Smart and Chloe Fineman, respectively.

Yang then directed political questions at Smart’s Susanne Bartsch, asking Fineman’s CNN anchor, “Have you ever taken ketamine?”

Next introduced was the “bad girl from C-SPAN,” also known as U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, played by Ego Nwodim. The congresswoman then offered her unfiltered thoughts on everything from JD Vance (“Smoky-eyed sofa sexual guy can’t order donuts but has a donut body”) to gerrymandering (“crazy-shaped crooked bitch”).

Brat, Charli With its hyperpop-influenced club bangers and slime-green aesthetic, it became the album of the summer. It also became fodder for TikTok dances and memes, to the point where Kamala Harris’ campaign briefly adopted the nickname “Brat.”

Charli XCX brought “Brat” to New York a week before “SNL,” performing at Madison Square Garden with Troye Sivan and special guests Lorde and Addison Rae. She is set to release a “Brat” remix album on October 11th.

“Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 50th season on September 28th with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll. The legendary sketch comedy series celebrates its big anniversary with a live primetime special on February 16th. The series airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock.

Even before Donald Trump started spreading lies about legal Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, or heavily armed Venezuelan immigrants “taking over homes” in Aurora, Colorado, Republicans were obsessed with Demonizing diversity.

Republican-led legislatures in several states have passed laws that eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies at public colleges and universities. Under pressure from conservative groups and right-wing trolls, big-name companies—including Ford, Harley-Davidson, and Lowe’s—that just a few years ago pledged to promote DEI initiatives in the workplace have scaled back or abandoned such efforts.

This very public denigration of diversity is having an impact. A recent CNN poll asked respondents whether they believe that “the increasing number of people of many different races, ethnic groups, and nationalities in the United States primarily threatens or primarily enriches American culture”?

A staggering 33 percent said diversity threatens American culture, up from 11 percent in 2019. More than four years after the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer sparked global protests against police violence and systemic racism, this is America’s true racist Reckoning – a situation that has left the nation more isolated, xenophobic and beholden to white supremacist ideas.

Forget dog whistles. Republican members of Congress post racist hate speech against legal immigrants on social media. On about legal Haitian immigrants.

“All of these thugs had better get their act together and leave our country before January 20th,” Higgins wrote. January 20th is Inauguration Day. He eventually deleted the post, but not before it was viewed more than 400,000 times and reposted more than 2,200 times. He didn’t apologize.

But there is no bigger megaphone than Trump, who denigrates immigrants with ugly language that comes from 1930s Germany. He often talks about how immigrants – meaning black and brown people from other countries – “poison the blood of our country” and calls them “vermin.”

“They come from the Congo. They come from Africa. They come from the Middle East. They come from all over the world – from Asia,” Trump said at a rally in Uniondale, New York. “What’s happening to our country is that we’re just destroying the fabric of life in our country.” We won’t take it any longer. You have to get rid of these people.”

Without evidence, and contrary to recent FBI statistics showing a significant decline in serious crime across the country, Trump claims that immigration is fueling a rise in crime. And he promises to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” by deporting millions of undocumented immigrants because a core tenet of the MAGA movement is to keep this nation as white as possible.

When Trump makes such statements, he receives cheers, applause and chants of “send her back.” But if such a thing were even possible, this nation would all but collapse without legal or undocumented immigrants.

In his remarkable 1965 satire Day of Absence, playwright Douglas Turner Ward imagines a small southern town that wakes one morning to find that all its black residents have disappeared without a trace. Of crying babies not cared for by black nannies – a white woman complains that her baby doesn’t know her and she’s “unfamiliar with jokes.” It” – to unmanned and silent factories, the city comes to a standstill. The confused white residents have become dysfunctional without the presence of the black people they have always despised.

America would become a great city without immigrants.

A certain text from Lin Manuel-Miranda’s musical “Hamilton” often resonates particularly strongly with audiences: “Immigrants, we get the job done.” That’s because it’s true. At no time in its history has this nation existed without the labor, creativity and ingenuity of those who came to this nation – whether by force or by choice.

Undocumented immigrants pay billions in taxes. They work in the stores we visit, the restaurants we eat at, and harvest the produce we buy at grocery stores. You can see them in parks looking after other people’s children. They are our friends, colleagues and neighbors. You are an irreplaceable part of this nation.

Diversity has enriched this nation. It is not a threat now or ever. Of course the immigration system needs to be improved, but not by deporting the millions of people who contribute to this country every day. The culture that Trump claims is disappearing, white Christian America, has always been a myth. The strength of this nation lives in the vibrancy of the people born in other lands.

And the distinctly American culture they created will be at risk if Trump—and not Vice President Kamala Harris, a proud daughter of immigrants—becomes our next president.

---

Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @reneeygraham.

When you purchase through links in our articles, Future and its syndication partners may receive a commission.

If recent history is anything to go by, Samsung will release its upcoming Galaxy S25 smartphones in the early months of next year, with the final four models launching in January or February.

There are already plenty of leaks and rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S25, but a new report sheds some interesting insight on the successor. Phone Arena cites a subscriber-only post from a leaker in China that claims the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset that’s set to power 2026 flagship smartphones compared to what’s on the table now a significant performance boost will be obtained.

Before we get into the details, a quick health warning about smartphone leaks on social media. Although they have often been proven correct in the past, the accuracy of individual leaks cannot be relied upon – even more so if the author in question does not have a convincing track record. The leaker in question here – The Undead on Weibo – has an “unknown” track record, admits Phone Arena, so take the following with a grain of salt.

Aside from that, the post explains that the efficiency cores of the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will reach 4GHz, while the performance cores will reach up to 5GHz.

While we have yet to see what speeds Qualcomm will reveal in this year’s chip (we’re reportedly expecting around 4GHz), we do know that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which powers the Samsung Galaxy S24, will have core speeds between 2.2 and 2.2 GHz has GHz and 3.39 GHz, so that would be a huge jump in just two years.

Again, it’s probably best to view this with some skepticism for now. Even if the (still theoretical) chipset is capable of these speeds, it may not be practical when built into smartphones. Despite the efficiency improvements that the 3nm manufacturing process should bring, space for cooling is limited.

The elephant in the room is that smartphones are already more than fast enough for many people, and a speed increase of almost 50% might seem like extreme overkill. However, there are two areas where more speed is always welcome: high-end mobile gaming and on-device AI. With all smartphone manufacturers betting heavily on the latter, more speed will certainly be welcome for those driving innovative generative AI capabilities in the next few years.

Before the Samsung Galaxy S26, we can of course look forward to the Galaxy S25. Leaked benchmarks suggest a speed improvement of around 25-30%, with more RAM and big improvements to the camera on the S25 Ultra model.

MILWAUKEE – The Mets are losing important games here, but at least they’re gathering useful information.

The most obvious insight they’ve gleaned so far is this: If they’re lucky enough to qualify for the playoffs – and yes, even though they haven’t won a single time on this trip, they’re still very much alive – it’s on best to avoid the Brewers.

Baseball’s plucky little team from arguably its smallest market (along with Cincinnati) continues to torment the Mets. Even if the Brewers – who are already set to host a Wild Card Series – are playing just for fun and laughs, the Mets can’t hurt them.

Milwaukee handed the Mets their second loss in two nights and their third in a road trip in which the only highlight remains the escape from Atlanta just before Hurricane Helene hit – not that that’s a small thing. There really wasn’t much to see beyond that.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, who attended Friday’s game here and plans to return for Sunday’s finale, flew to New York on Saturday for the 50th reunion of his graduating class from Great Neck North High. He made the right decision.

The Mets scored just two goals against a collection of little-known but well-armed Brewers hurlers in a 6-0 road win. But somehow the team from Queens still has its fate under control in a race that seems less impressive because of the loss. Apparently the more they lose, the better it gets. Apparently this is the new Mets math.

Honestly, they can thank the Diamondbacks for their undeserved luck. The Mets have the crucial tiebreaker against Arizona, which also appears to be a daily loss.

“We just have to get better…Today our performance wasn’t good enough,” said Pete Alonso. “Luckily we have tomorrow and we still have two days in Atlanta.” (As hard as it is to believe, they could potentially clinch a playoff spot on Sunday and if that happens, they wouldn’t even have to travel south. )

If the Mets don’t get it done, they’ll only have themselves to blame. The Brewers ran a bullpen game on Saturday, and while that sounds like a potential plus for the Mets, they have one of the most dynamic pens in the NL (perhaps almost as good as the Padres, the other team the Mets play could if they come in). ).

Due to the weather disaster and the two rainouts, the Mets don’t yet know how many games they still have to play. A fortunate and stunning Mets win and a D’Backs loss on Sunday punch New York’s ticket to October.

But in fairness, the Mets’ problems at this point outnumber those of the remaining games – whether that’s one, two or three more games. We will not list all the keys to the goal here. But we will say this: They need their big names to beat as best they can.

Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias, both minor leaguers early in the season, are consistently their most productive hitters after MVP candidate Francisco Lindor. Good for you. But it shouldn’t be like that.

The Mets offense is now on its head. While Vientos and Iglesias play the lead roles, the big names and earners have to earn a living. Alonso and Brandon Nimmo are having a mediocre season statistically, and JD Martinez’s numbers are even worse.

The three biggest and best-paid stars in particular have to start doing the hard work. (We apologize to Martinez for this short list, as he is ranked #0 in his last 35 games and is unlikely to make the lineup any time soon.)

3 Nimmo may be the unluckiest hitter in baseball. He does a few crucial things (he’s fourth in the Netherlands in terms of win probability), but he always meets them where they are. He said he “likes where he is,” but he usually hasn’t had much luck at 0-4.

2. Francisco Lindor has been their MVP all year and now is the time when they need him most.

He missed almost two weeks due to a back injury, but is now playing again. He’s very tough, but says bending over is uncomfortable, so he did DH on Saturday. In his new role, he went 0-4 with two strikeouts.

Even Lindor at three-quarter speed is still a threat. The MVP is out now as Shohei Ohtani has shown he’s superhuman, but Lindor can carry them even if he’s not at full strength.

1. With 34 home runs, Alonso is among the leaders in the Netherlands, but by his previous standards his platform year is undoubtedly below his norm. He is also looking for a special moment.

Now might be a good time, Pete.

The Mets are still in a better position than Arizona, so believe it or not, their odds remain better than 50-50. But they need to win at least one game – be it here on Sunday or in Atlanta.

“We have to find a way,” said manager Carlos Mendoza.

If they don’t punch their playoff ticket on Sunday, they’ll have to do it the hard way, via an unwanted, unpleasant trip to Atlanta on Monday. This team hasn’t made it easy all year, but they have the talent to do it – even in their least favorite spot.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — As Donald Trump railed against immigrants in the Rust Belt on Saturday afternoon, his supporters in the Deep South had turned his earlier broadsides into a rallying cry at a college football game as they looked forward to the former president’s later visit prepared in the evening.

“You have to take these people back to where they came from,” Trump said in Wisconsin, as the Republican presidential nominee renewed his focus on Springfield, Ohio, which has been rocked by false claims, which he amplified, that Haitian immigrants are “stealing the dogs and eat.” .. the cats from the neighbors’ houses eat.

“You have no choice,” Trump continued. “You will lose your culture. You will lose your country.”

Many University of Alabama fans waiting for Trump to visit their campus for the showdown between the No. 4 Crimson Tide and No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs wore stickers and pins that read, “They eat the Dawgs!” They broke in random shouts of “Trump!” Trump! Trump!” Throughout the day there was a preview of the rousing reception he received early in the second quarter, sitting in a 40-yard suite hosted by a wealthy member of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was received.

Trump’s brand of populist nationalism relies heavily on his bleak portrayal of America as a failing nation abused by elites and overrun by black and brown immigrants. But his supporters, especially white cultural conservatives, hear in this rhetoric an optimistic patriotism, expressed in the slogan on his movement’s ubiquitous red hats: “Make America Great Again.”

That was the assessment of Shane Walsh, a 52-year-old businessman from Austin, Texas. Walsh and his family decorated their campus tent with a Trump 2024 flag and a professionally made sign with the newly popular message that the Alabama football team will “eat the Dawgs.”

For Walsh, the sign wasn’t about immigration or the details of Trump’s sensationalism, exaggerations and falsehoods.

“I don’t necessarily like him as a person,” Walsh said. “But I think Washington is broken and it’s the faults of both parties – and Trump is the guy who will stand up. He is many things, but weak is not one of them. He’s an optimistic guy – he just makes you believe that when he’s in charge, we’re going to be OK.”

The idea for the sign came from a meme that he showed his wife. “I thought it was funny,” he said.

Katie Yates, a 47-year-old from Hoover, Alabama, had the same experience with her life-size cutout of the former president. She was stopped repeatedly on the way to her family’s usual tent. Trump’s likeness was scheduled to join Elvis, “who is always an Alabama fan at our tailgate,” Yates said.

“I’m such a Trump fan,” she said, adding that she couldn’t understand why every American wasn’t.

Yates did not make any disparaging comments about Trump’s opponent, Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, but simply complained that she was unable to stay for the game and watch as Trump was recognized by the stadium’s public address system and featured on large video screens in the stadium the fist was shown clenched in corners of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

That moment came with 12:24 left in the second quarter, just after Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe stormed up the right sideline on Trump’s side of the field, giving the Crimson Tide a stunning 28-0 lead over the Vegas-favored Bulldogs.

Trump did not respond to Milroe’s diatribe, perhaps recognizing that Georgia, not reliably Republican Alabama, is a key battleground in his fight against Harris. But when “the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump” was introduced to the sellout crowd of more than 100,000 fans – all but a few thousand wearing purple – Trump smiled broadly and clenched his fist, as he did on the in July after an assassin’s bullet grazed his ear and left his face bleeding.

The crowd roared its approval, pointing cellphone cameras and their purple and white pom-poms at Trump’s suite, where he stood behind the ballistic glass that has become a focal point after two assassination attempts. A few boos and a few extended middle fingers broke Trump’s decorum, but they gave way to more chants of: “USA!” USA! USA!”

In fact, not everyone on campus was thrilled.

“I think there is a silent majority among students who are not for Trump,” argued Braden Vick, president of the Alabama College Democrats group. Vick pointed to recent elections in which Democratic candidates, including President Joe Biden in 2020, far exceeded their statewide totals in districts around campus.

“We have this great atmosphere for a top-five game between these two teams with playoff and championship implications,” Vick said, “and it’s just a shame that Donald Trump has to try to ruin it with his selfishness .”

Trump came as a guest of Alabama businessman Ric Mayers Jr., a member of Mar-a-Lago. Mayers said in a pregame interview that he invited Trump so he could enjoy a warm reception. And as Mayers noted, Trump is a longtime sports fan. In the 1980s, he tried to buy an NFL team and instead helped create a rival league. And he attended several college games as president, including a national championship game between Alabama and Georgia.

Mayers also invited Alabama Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville. Britt, a former Alabama student government president, delivered Republicans’ response to Biden’s final State of the Union address, drawing rebukes after she used a debunked story about human trafficking to echo Trump’s warnings about migrants. Tuberville, a former head football coach at Auburn University, Alabama’s archrival, is a staunch Trump supporter.

The politicians in the suite were joined by musicians Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr. Herschel Walker, a Georgia football icon and failed 2022 Senate candidate, traveled to the game in Trump’s motorcade.

Parts of the stadium were surrounded by fences, and numerous metal detectors and tents formed a security perimeter that extended beyond the usual footprint. Sisters of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority showed off their security wristbands before gaining entry to their sorority house right next to the stadium. Bomb-sniffing dogs stopped catering trucks carrying food. Hundreds of TSA agents set out to complete a potentially unpopular task: conducting an airport-level screening of every ticket holder.

What seemed most important, however, was the possibility that a friendly home crowd could cheer Trump in the same way they cheered the Crimson Tide, unencumbered by anything he had said in Wisconsin or elsewhere as he led an increasingly bleak US election gave closing arguments.

“College football fans can get emotional and crazy about their team,” Shane Walsh said. “And Trump supporters can do that too.”

She didn’t even care that Trump’s tie wasn’t crimson. It was Georgia red.

Whether it’s talking through the film or vaping in the cinema, Brits should be careful before ignoring these common rules of cinema etiquette.

Failure to comply with cinema rules could result in fines of up to £50,000.

Researchers at Haypp reveal five common behaviors Brits exhibit at the cinema that could actually land them a hefty fine, and which of these common offenders Brits find most irritating.

Can I bring alcohol to the cinema?

If you plan to consume an alcoholic beverage at the cinema, be sure to check the cinema’s policy beforehand. Although many cinemas have an alcohol license, meaning they are allowed to sell alcohol on their premises, strict rules usually apply to this.

Licensing laws require control and monitoring of alcohol consumption. Allowing you to bring your own alcohol could be in breach of license requirements.

Viewing of age-restricted films by minors

Similar to laws governing the sale of alcohol, movie theaters are responsible for ensuring that individuals meet age requirements for films (12A, 15, 18). Failure to comply may result in fines for the cinema and not the individual.

Cinemas themselves face a fine of up to £20,000 if they allow underage viewers to watch films suitable for older age groups. Haypp’s data shows that a third of Brits feel uncomfortable watching a film if underage viewers are allowed in.

Can I vape in the cinema?

Due to the UK’s anti-smoking laws, vaping is banned in cinemas. Vaping is treated similarly to smoking in the Smoking Ban Act, which prohibits smoking in enclosed public spaces.

This also includes cinemas. Although vaping does not produce the same harmful second-hand smoke as cigarettes, the law imposes hefty fines of £200 for people caught smoking in cinemas, including the lobby and toilets.

Can I bring food to the cinema?

Although it’s not something you’d typically get fined for, bringing in food and drink from outside is something that causes a lot of confusion among Brits. While some may scoff at those who make sure to hide their snacks under their jackets, you should actually be careful when bringing food to the cinema.

Some cinemas have strict policies against bringing in outside food. Violators may be asked to throw away the food or leave the cinema. Specifically, bringing in food from outside wasn’t particularly offensive to moviegoers, but over two-thirds admitted that noisy and smelly food was definitely unpleasant.

Shot in a cinema

Recording the movie can actually be considered piracy, especially if you share the footage on another platform. Recording a film (or part of a film) in a cinema is illegal under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Anti-piracy laws are strictly enforced in the UK, surveillance measures are in place to catch offenders, and the penalty for doing so is just as severe as the law sounds, with offenders risking a fine of up to £50,000 and even possible prison time.

Surprisingly, new data from Haypp shows that film-loving Brits had no influence on how others watched films. Only 5% cared whether other viewers’ cameras were turned off.

A 13-year-old girl was sexually abused multiple times by three of her tutors, police said. While two of the accused have been arrested, one is currently on the run.

According to police, the accused – Gautam, Tarun Rajpurohit and Satya Raj – not only sexually assaulted her but also showed her explicit images and videos.

Gautam and Tarun Rajpurohit were arrested on September 28 and will remain in custody until Monday. Efforts are on to arrest Satya Raj.

“They did it repeatedly. Her mother was initially hesitant to file a complaint, but the counselor had to convince her, a police official said.

According to the police, the accused committed this crime several times, taking advantage of the girl’s precarious situation due to her parents’ divorce and the lack of male presence at home.

The accused were charged under Sections 354 (assault/criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 376 (2) (rape), 377 (unnatural sexual intercourse) and 12, 4, 8 of the Pocso Act.

Montreal pharmacist Aleck Brodeur just received a shipment of rapid COVID-19 tests. Since temperatures have dropped, more people want to buy them, he says.

“They sell out so quickly. We always have to order something every day and we keep increasing the amount we order, but they are all still on sale,” he said.

He expects that shipment – 13 kits in total – to be gone by the end of the day. In QuebecThere were 3,882 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 between September 15 and September 21.

Unlike last fall, there are no free rapid tests to distribute in Brodeur. The federal government stopped providing free rapid COVID tests to provinces and territories in May.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Health Canada said it is no longer purchasing rapid tests in bulk. The agency also says there are no plans to replenish the federal stockpile once it is depleted.

This means that pharmacies bought the tests from suppliers and sold them like any other over-the-counter goods. Pharmacists say supplies are sometimes low.

“We hunt them down and make sure they are approved by Health Canada,” said Kyro Maseh, a Toronto-area pharmacist.

Artron Laboratories Inc., which makes COVID testing kits, said in an email that it has increased test production in recent months and expects to increase it even further for the upcoming winter season.

Where can you get COVID tests?

You may have to visit several pharmacies before you find one that offers rapid tests – free or for sale.

While some pharmacies in Quebec and Ontario no longer have free testing, the situation is different elsewhere. Alberta Public Health says it is still distributing free tests from the federal supply participating pharmacies until the supply runs out.

While Quebec pharmacies may no longer offer free rapid tests, the province does distribute Free rapid tests in certain clinics or service centers.

PCR testing is also available in some provinces for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It just takes a little longer to get the results: at least 24 hours.

Experts say most expired tests will continue to work for a few months after the expiration date, but they also warn that false negatives pose a risk: If your test comes back negative on an expired test but you’re still experiencing symptoms, Is it possible that this is the case? I still have COVID – even if the expired test didn’t detect it.

“If it’s positive, you’re definitely positive. If it is negative and has symptoms, you need to be concerned about using expired tests,” said Dr. Dawn Bowdish, professor of immunology at McMaster University and executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health in Hamilton.

Should we even still test for COVID?

If you’re otherwise healthy and young, there’s a good chance that whether you’ve tested positive for COVID or have a cold, you’ll be given the same advice: Don’t go to work or school, stay home .

But for those more vulnerable to serious illness, an early positive test can change treatment options — and potentially health outcomes.

“Older adults and immunocompromised people who are at high risk for hospitalization should receive antiviral medications within one day or no more than two days of becoming ill,” Bowdish said.

“If they don’t know they have COVID, they can’t get the medications that could keep them out of the hospital.”

Current numbers Select public health and hospital laboratories across Canada suggest COVID-19 levels remain stable across the country, but Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at McGill University Health Centre, believes the numbers do not reflect the true level of what is going on in the community.

“We know this is an underestimate of what is going on,” he said.

For him, there is no doubt that comprehensive testing is still worthwhile. He says COVID can have serious impacts on vulnerable populations — and there are treatment options, too.

“Instead of saying: Do we still need tests for SARS-CoV-2 after four years? At-risk populations for which we can provide therapy,” Vinh said.

In the US, the federal government has done this a program reopens This will allow each household to receive up to four free COVID test kits in the mail. U.S. health officials are urging the public to take a rapid test before visiting friends and family during the holiday season.

Bowdish, the immunologist, says she would like to see something similar in Canada.

“People change their behavior and decisions when they know they have an infection that could cause an older adult or vulnerable person to become seriously ill.”