A timely Covid tip on microwaving your face-mask: Don't

Announcing the National Pharmaceutical Congress Spring 2020 Webinar: "After This Rude Interruption: What the Life Sciences Will Look Like After the Covid Crisis"  Wed., May 20, 11 a.m. to noon (EDT.) Panel discussion of thought-leaders from the Canadian Life Sciences and physician communities to discuss and determine the way forward. Faculty includes: Wendy Adams, Galderma Canada; Peter Brenders, Kontollo Health (lead panellist); Dr. Wayne P. Gulliver, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador; Robin Hunter, Malinckrodt; Richard Lajoie, Bausch Health; Mitch Shannon, Chronicle Companies (host.) Registration is free but strictly limited to 100 delegates. (Overflow viewing will be live-streamed to YouTube.) Register now at http://tiny.cc/NPC-Spring

May 6, 2020 -- Welcome back to another mid-week edition of the Daily CurveFlattener, reported today by Chronicle correspondent Jeremy Visser.

After a slow opening of the economy began in Ontario this week (as mentioned in yesterday's issue), concern has started to rise. Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw urged a cautious approach as Covid-19 "will be here for a long while to come".

Pandemic protestors and Covid-19 conspiracy theorists will be happy to hear that haircuts will be available in Manitoba this week, albeit with safeguards in place. Although hairdressers in P.E.I. are arguing that allowing them to open on May 22nd is too soon. 

As the entire country struggles with how to handle the global pandemic, certain citizens in Ontario seem to struggle with sterilizing their face masks as they look to microwaves to solve their problems. While not as dangerous as ingesting bleach, Ontario's Fire Marshall has warned people that this potential fire risk "should never be done". Although that's not nearly as bad as this woman in Kentucky who cut a hole in her face mask to allow better breathability.

COVID CHRONICLE 05/06/2020

• Due to claims of "commercial confidentiality", UK manufacturers of Covid-19 antibody tests are not required to make evaluation results of their product publicly available. This has raised questions about companies that have a financial interest in the situation choosing to not disclose information on taxpayer-funded research.
• Amgen has announced that it's psoriasis drug Otezla is undergoing studies to see how well it combats severe cases of Covid-19. A small French study from April showed promise, but Amgen is conducting its own study to find a more definitive answer.
• With social distancing and self-isolation complicating most facets of medical care, it has accelerated delivery of remote care for those with chronic neurological conditions. This viewpoint article on JAMA Neurology details all the benefits of telemedicine in cases of some chronic neurological conditions.
• CDC urges testing and preventative measures to be implemented in homeless shelters, following outbreaks in four U.S. cities.

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

Senior Editor John Evans has just finished up an article to be reported in the upcoming issue of the Pediatric Chronicle, on how sleep disturbances underlie the co-occurrence of trauma and chronic pain in the pediatric population.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

Mobile Suit Breakdown: a podcast that follows the long-running Gundam franchise. In a format that involves watching a 20-minute episode, followed by listening to their podcast for an hour-long in-depth analysis, it's perfect to keep you entertained while cleaning up around the house.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE READING... 

Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron. What's more topical than 10 people self-isolating in Italy to escape a pandemic. While it's hard to compare to Scheherazade's One Thousand and One Nights, I find that 100 stories are more than enough to keep me entertained during isolation. It's also convenient that they have unlimited eBook copies at Toronto's Public Library.

TONIGHT WE ARE COOKING... 

Ramen. We like to stock up on noodles, seaweed, tofu, and broccoli on grocery trips, and there is no more enjoyable combination of those items than a hot bowl of ramen, which, as a bonus, gives me a reason to bust out the chopsticks.

HOW IS YOUR WEEK?

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 and enjoy your week. Editorial Director Allan Ryan will be covering your news tomorrow.