Here comes April. Don’t be a fool, help flatten the curve

April 1, 2020 -- Good morning, and welcome to today's Daily CurveFlattener newsletter from Chronicle Companies. An experimental podcast edition, running three minutes, is available here.

Unidentified cat is a fill-in substitute for Ms. Snowball,
who will return to this space. Just try to stop her 

As our publisher Mitch Shannon mentioned in Monday's kick-off edition, every day a different Chronicle reporter or editor will oversee content designed to inform and assist in getting through and past this rough time. Today's newsletter comes to you from scenic Oakville, Ont., reported by assistant editor Kylie Rebernik... with the active participation of Ms. Snowball (whose feline acquaintance many readers made earlier this week.)

To begin, I want to highlight and thank each of the front-line workers who are helping us navigate through this crisis. As I was doing my daily social media scroll, the upcoming cover of the New Yorker magazine’s Health Issue caught my eye, and it really sums up how lucky we are to have dedicated healthcare professionals at the forefront of our everyday life-and-death battle.  

In the words of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “The duration of this crisis will be determined by the choices we make right now. Do your part. Stay home.” 

COVID CHRONICLE 04/01/2020

• The U.S. FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization to Abbott Laboratories for a new Covid-19 test that takes 15 minutes to complete. According to a press release from Abbott, the test is the “fastest available molecular point-of-care test” for the detection of Covid-19. Positive results will be delivered in five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. Tests are being made available starting today. 

•  A team of researchers from Sunnybrook Research Institute, McMaster University and the University of Toronto have isolated the agent behind Covid-19. According to Dr. Samira Mubareka, microbiologist and infectious disease specialist at Sunnybrook, identifying the virus will aid researchers in the development of better diagnostic testing tools and treatments.   

• A small uncontrolled case series published online at JAMA (Mar. 27, 2020) has found that administering convalescent plasma containing neutralizing antibody to critically ill Covid-19 patients showing signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome, resulted in clinical status improvement.

• The Ontario Health Coalition has been tracking the number of residents and staff infected with Covid-19 in long-term care homes as well as the number of health care workers who have contracted the virus, listed by town across Ontario. The list has grown significantly since last week, the Coalition notes, particularly in the province’s long-term care homes. For the most recent update see here. 

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

• An upcoming article in The Chronicle of Cosmetic Medicine + Surgery will explore how Covid-19 has impacted the field of cosmetic medicine, including elective plastic surgery procedures. To that point, an article posted on CBC’s website, explains the need for Ontario’s private cosmetic surgeons to lend their ventilators to help with the outbreak. Dr. Jamil Asaria, Canadian region director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, is working with private cosmetic surgeons and Ontario hospitals to fill the need. 

RIGHT NOW WE’RE LISTENING TO…

• City and Colour’s Sometimes album on vinyl. As the 15^th anniversary of the album approaches, Dallas Green always sings to soothe the soul. Sometimes was described by Apple Music as “nakedly passionate, as forceful as it is fragile,” and if you are in the mood for something a little more rage-y, you can always check out Alexisonfire, of which Dallas Green is the rhythmic guitarist and clean vocalist. 

LATER WE’RE READING…

• V.E. Schwab’s A Conjuring of Light. The third installment of Schwab’s epic A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy, it’s the perfect novel to keep you intrigued and occupied while you practice social distancing. 

TONIGHT WE’RE COOKING…

• Creamy chicken and asparagus pasta. Let’s face it, nothing is more comforting than carbs, and during this time you might just need a little comfort.

AND HOW ARE YOU DOING ON APRIL FOOL'S DAY 2020?

Please make use of the comments section of the Daily CurveFlattener, to let us know what you’re up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to you colleagues, and when you’re done, please wash your hands. 

That’s it. Stay in touch and stay safe, until tomorrow.