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April 16, 2020 - Happy Thursday, everyone. I'm nearly positive it's Thursday, although these days of self-isolation do tend to blend together. Keeping track of my work week without actually leaving to go to work is just something we're all still getting used to. (This is Chronicle's Jeremy Visser in Toronto, reporting your Daily CurveFlattener.)
It seems like a lot of these unusual circumstances are going to start to become normal as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expecting small outbreaks of Covid-19 for months to come. With social distancing and preventative measures in place, it's looking like 12 to 18 months before a vaccine can be tested and approved, and we can safely leave our houses again.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently announced the launch of a Health Workforce Matching Portal, allowing international-educated health care professionals to receive a 30-day license to help stop the spread of Covid-19. He has also urged anyone to help out if they're able, including retired physicians and nurses. A report in the Jakarta Post newspaper describes the dedication of Dr. Handoko Gunawan, a respirologist who returned to the front lines to deal with the pandemic in Indonesia. Dr. Gunawan is 80 years old.
It seems like a lot of these unusual circumstances are going to start to become normal as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expecting small outbreaks of Covid-19 for months to come. With social distancing and preventative measures in place, it's looking like 12 to 18 months before a vaccine can be tested and approved, and we can safely leave our houses again.
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| Sign held by HCP translates as: "We stay at work for you. You stay at home for us" |
While more medical professionals are needed during this global crisis, retirees are in the demographic most at risk, which begs the difficult, perhaps fundamental, existential question: Is one's own personal health a greater priority than the common good?
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Long-term care homes have been the focus lately, as current outbreaks in these facilities have pushed the number of deaths past the governments worst-case short-term projections. In an effort to deal with this problem before it gets any worse, the Ontario government has given an emergency order prohibiting long-term care facility employees from working at more than one location. Another potential problem still being assessed: Nurses and other healthcare professionals commuting across the border each day from Canada to the U.S.A.
Long-term care homes have been the focus lately, as current outbreaks in these facilities have pushed the number of deaths past the governments worst-case short-term projections. In an effort to deal with this problem before it gets any worse, the Ontario government has given an emergency order prohibiting long-term care facility employees from working at more than one location. Another potential problem still being assessed: Nurses and other healthcare professionals commuting across the border each day from Canada to the U.S.A.
COVID CHRONICLE 04/15/2020
- South Korean health officials have reported an investigation into 91 cases of Covid-19 where patients retested positive after recovering. After testing negative twice in 24 hours, patients are officially considered recovered, so whether this is a new strain or an error in testing is being examined.
- U.S. President Donald Trump ordered funding halted for the World Health Organization. His administration will conduct a 60 to 90 day review of the WHO's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Meanwhile, WHO has provided a review finding that quarantine worked best to prevent spread of Covid-19 when paired with school closures, travel restrictions and social distancing.
STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY
Assistant Editor Kylie Rebernik is working on an article about facial cosmetic surgery in men affecting perceived personality traits. You can read that article in the upcoming issue of The Chronicle of Cosmetic Medicine + Surgery.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE LISTENING TO…
Audiobooks. With all branches of our local Toronto Public Library closed, digital copies and audiobooks are more in demand than ever. I'm starting to get tired of screens, so I opted for a re-listen to Nick Podehl's narration of Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear.
LATER WE’RE READING...
Just finished up Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson, a wonderfully thoughtful exploration of love beyond the boundaries of gender. It has (almost) inspired me to write my own volume. How does "Love in the Time of Quarantine" sound for a title?
TONIGHT WE’RE COOKING...
Lasagna Soup. I guess great minds think alike. This recipe is as easy to make as my colleague Dhiren Mahiban's Zucchini Lasagna Roll ups (see DCF 04/15/20) and it's very filling and warm. Which was perfect as I looked out my window yesterday to see snow briefly falling in April.
HOW IS YOUR WEEK GOING?
Please make use of the comments section at 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 your colleagues.
That's it. Stay in touch, stay safe. Chronicle's Editorial Director Allan Ryan will be here tomorrow to finish us up for the week.
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