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Monkeypox is a viral infection that’s usually found in parts of Africa. But the current outbreak has shown up in countries including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, Australia, the United States and Canada. That’s just one of several things that has doctors puzzled. So this week we’re asking: What do I need to know about monkeypox? We get some clues from Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of Alberta.

More than a dozen possible cases of severe acute hepatitis in children have popped up in Canada and many –including parents and researchers– are trying to figure out why. This week, we speak to Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

Running or jogging is said to be one of the best cardio exercises you can do to stay in shape. But it’s not for everyone. This week we spoke with Dr. Jane Thornton, sports medicine physician and Canada Research Chair in Injury Prevention and Physical Activity for Health at Western University, about how running can help us stay healthy, how to start running and proper form.

Vitamin D has been touted as a "wonder treatment" with a lot of health benefits. But what can vitamin D actually do for my health? This week on The Dose, Dr. Peter Lin, a Toronto-based family physician, speaks about what the research shows, dosage amounts, and much more.

Since the first days of the pandemic, people who have recovered from the coronavirus have complained of long COVID symptoms. There’s still a lot to learn about the condition, but researchers are looking for answers. We spoke with Manali Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University and affiliate scientist with the Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton.

This year's allergy season has come early in parts of Canada, with some specialists saying there's growing evidence to suggest a connection to climate change. We spoke with Dr. Anne Ellis, professor of medicine and chair of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Queen's University.

The sixth wave of COVID-19 has seen an increase in hospitalizations and more ICU admissions. What’s different this time is that we have a new medication called Paxlovid that can keep at-risk people out of hospital. We hear all the details on Paxlovid from Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist and associate professor at the school of pharmacy at the University of Waterloo.

COVID case counts are once again climbing in many parts of Canada along with hospitalizations. This week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine be given to all Canadians ages 80 and up.

You may have heard of prebiotics and probiotics, but now there’s a new term used by researchers: postbiotics. This week we’re asking: What do we know about postbiotics? We speak with Jennifer Stearns, assistant professor at McMaster University’s department of medicine.

Psychedelics are no longer just illegal street drugs. A lot of research has come out about their benefits as treatments for people with mood and other mental health disorders. So what do we know about how psychedelics can treat mental illness? We hear from Dr. Robert Tanguay, clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary and Chief Clinical Medical Officer at the Newly Institute.

Countries in the European Union are seeing a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, just weeks after lifting COVID-19 measures. Meanwhile, in most parts of Canada, pandemic restrictions are being eased. So with provinces lifting mask mandates, should I still wear a mask? We hear from Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Files.

If you haven't been in to see your family doctor in the last two years, now may be the time to do it. So if I haven't had my regular checkup since before the pandemic, what should I ask my doctor? We find out from Dr. Peter Lin, a Toronto-based family doctor and a director at the Canadian Heart Research Centre.

Some sleep experts in Canada have seen a rise in insomnia and sleep-related complaints since the start of the pandemic. For some people, sleep aids can help them get some much-needed rest. Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC podcast The Dose, spoke with Dr. Elliott Lee, a sleep specialist at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, about what we know about how effective sleep aids are in helping people stay asleep.

Canada and many other parts of the world are lifting restrictions and trying to move on from COVID-19. But not everyone is ready to ditch the mask and other pandemic measures. Dr. Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of British Columbia, shares insight on how people can navigate society with fewer COVID-19 restrictions.

Denmark was one of the first countries to lift all of its COVID-19 restrictions earlier this month.The government says they no longer consider COVID-19 "a socially critical disease" and they’re learning to live with it. What can Canada take away from Denmark’s ‘live with COVID’ approach? We find out from Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

Kids under five are the only age group that aren’t eligible for a vaccine yet. Vaccine manufacturers are working on vaccines for young children, but parents and guardians have a lot of questions while they wait. What do we know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids 5 and under?  We find out from Dr. Cora Constantinescu, a pediatrician and infectious diseases physician at Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary.

Omicron is still the dominant coronavirus strain in the country. But lately we’ve been hearing about what’s been dubbed the “little sister” of Omicron, known as subvariant BA.2. So what do we know about this Omicron subvariant? We find out from Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO).

More than three times as many Canadians have received the Pfizer vaccine compared to the one made by Moderna. But Canada has a stockpile of Moderna vaccines. So how do the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines measure up now? We find out from Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist and associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy.

As kids are either back in class or about to return, Dr. Brian Goldman speaks with infectious diseases pediatrician Dr. Fatima Kakkar about how parents can protect their kids in school against Omicron.

Some countries are now administering a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch helps answer the question: Just how many vaccine doses do we need to stay a step ahead of the pandemic?