Human Covid-19 vaccine trials begin. Starbucks is reopening. Hope may be on the horizon

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May 1, 2020 -- May Day, May Day! Welcome to the Friday edition of the Daily CurveFlattener, brought to you by assistant editor Kylie Rebernik, and the four letters that first come to mind today are TGIF.  

As we notch one more work-from-home week, some provinces are beginning to slowly reopen. As mentioned in Wednesday’s CurveFlattener (Apr. 29, 2020), Quebec will begin to reboot after this weekend. Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, has laid out the framework of his plan to reopen Ontario; however, he did specify a date or dates. British Columbia Premier John Horgan announced earlier this week he will lay out a plan to reopen next week. But let's talk about me. My local Starbucks in Oakville, Ont. is advertising a reopen date of May 18, and for this correspondent, that is the most promising development of the week. 

There is other hope on the horizon. Pfizer in conjunction with German-based BioNTech announced  on Apr. 29, 2020 that they have started human trials for a potential Covid-19 vaccine. This comes after Oxford University’s Jenner Institute announced on Apr, 23, 2020 that they have begun work on a human vaccine. 

COVID CHRONICLE 05/01/2020

• A new study published in BMJ (Apr. 29, 2020)  has found that cancer mortality rates could rise by 20% as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to researchers, deaths will be among existing cancer patients who contract Covid-19 and other deaths will occur among people who receive a late diagnosis or delayed treatments. 

• Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are some of the most common comorbidities among Covid-19 patients. A recent study published in JAMA (Apr. 22, 2020) study the clinical presentation, characteristics and patient outcomes of 5700 Covid-19 patients in the New York City area who were hospitalized. 

• Healthcare workers are steadily testing positive for Covid-19 in Ontario, with one in seven residents who have tested positive being healthcare workers. New data released on Apr. 28. 2020 by Public Health Ontario shows that of the 15,728 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 13.9% or 2,193 are healthcare workers.

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY...

Assistant editor Cory Perla is working on a specialty page for The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy highlighting the cutaneous skin effects of Covid-19. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO...

Ellie Goulding’s curated "Pushing Limits" playlist for Apple Music. This is the perfect pump-up playlist for at-home workouts. And if you aren’t working out during this pandemic, that's still okay. I still recommend giving it a listen. 

LATER WE ARE WATCHING...

Netflix’s teen comedy series "Never Have I Ever." from producer/creator Mindy Kaling. This is the first Netflix show to score 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after its first season. 

TONIGHT ON THE MENU...

Fridays have become Order-In Night, and this evening we'll probably bring in something from new local restaurant we found called Applestone Pizzeria. You can have two guesses what type of cuisine they offer. 

WHAT KIND OF WEEK DID YOU HAVE? 

Please make use of the comments section at the Daily CurveFlattener, to let us know what you're up to today, or if you have had any particularly vivid dreams. Also, 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 have the best weekend you can.