Exercising to manage mental health during the pandemic

May 26, 2020 — This Tuesday edition of the Daily CurveFlattener comes to you from Chronicle's Dhiren Mahiban somewhere in the west end of Toronto not too very close to the roving packs of imbiciles in nearby Trinity Bellwoods Park.

While I was a frequent visitor to the gym, back before Covid-19 forced us all indoors and limited the amount of interaction we can have with the outside world, I have found the need for exercise even more important while in quarantine for the better part of the past nine weeks. I have also determined that regular exercise can play a useful role in maintaining effective job performance. For example, following a vigorous workout I'm able to lay blame for typos on factors such as excessive palm sweat, rather than not my simply knowing how to spell, oh, "hyperhidrosis." A word of caution to readers, however. Avoid viral transmissions by always practising safe sweating. And remember these three important words: sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.



COVID CHRONICLE 05/26/2020

• A team of researchers from the Children's Hospital of Geneva found three cases of adolescents developing septic shock as a result of Covid-19. Published in Lancet, the study highlights the clinical characteristics of three adolescents between the age of 10 and 12 years old.
• Age, male sex, obesity, and underlying illness have emerged as risk factors for severe Covid-19 or death in the UK, according to a cohort study published by the British Medical Journal. The risk of death increases in those beyond the age of 50 for patients who have underlying heart, lung, liver, and kidney disease, the study found. 
• Investigators at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found no evidence that hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine reduced the death rate amongst Covid-19 patients. The study published in Lancet also revealed that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine regimens were more likely to experience abnormal, rapid heart rhythms than their counterparts who had not received the drugs. Elsewhere, the World Health Organization yesterday suspended a trial of hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 Tx candidate, says it will "err on the side of caution."

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

• May is Melanoma Awareness Month and over at Derm.City my colleague John Evans has a post on two antihistamines that may improve melanoma survival.
• For an upcoming issue of the Pediatric Chronicle, I interviewed Dr. Alison Holloway, an associate professor at the Health Sciences Centre at McMaster University, about the study conducted at the Helmoltz Centre for Environmental Research in German which found that the use of cosmetics containing parabens by pregnant women can have an impact on their child's weight development. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

I have been catching up on The Catch and Kill Podcast hosted by Ronan Farrow, wherein the journalist interviews a cast of sources who assisted him in his investigation of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein and other Hollywood figures accused of crimes. 

LATER WE'RE READING...

League of Denial written by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. The book reveals how the NFL, over nearly two decades, tried to cover up and deny the connection between football and concussions. League of Denial examines how the NFL used its power and resources to attack scientists and elevate its own flawed research. 

TONIGHT WE'RE EATING... 

We will be heating up leftovers from this delicious Chicken & Wild Mushroom Skillet recipe we constructed during the weekend.  

AND HOW ARE YOU DOING?

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. My colleague Jeremy Visser will be in this space tomorrow.