Society's twin pathogens: Covid-19 and systemic racism

Announcing the Summer Webinar of the National Pharmaceutical Congress: "Pharma's Purpose, People & Process Post-Covid. Who Will Thrive? Who Will Be Left Behind?" Featured panellists are Ronnie Miller, Hoffman-La Roche; Mike Egli, Aspen Healthcare Canada; Claude Perron, Amicus Therapeutics; Peter Brenders, Kontollo Health [lead panellist]; Mitch Shannon, Chronicle Companies [host.] Mark the date of Tuesday, June 23, 11:00 to noon (EDT.) Registration is free, and the sign-up site opens soon.

June 2, 2020 -- Good morning from Toronto. It's Kylie Rebernik here, with Tuesday's edition of the Daily CurveFlattener.

Measures such as "social isolation" aimed at controlling the Covid-19 pandemic continued to be preempted yesterday by street demonstrations following outrage over the apparent torture and homicide of a 47-year-old African-American citizen by police officers in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. The appalling events surrounding the taking of George Floyd's life have been widely publicized -- justly so, we will state -- and appear to have pushed concerns over virus-control aside, following rigorous attempts to assert shelter-in-place recommendations by health authorities. Large protest marches occurred this week in more than 200 U.S. cities, and several Canadian cities including Vancouver and Toronto. 

The coincidence of highly emotional public demonstrations for social justice during an ongoing pandemic poses a particular dilemma for health authorities. Large and vigorous public gatherings, no matter how just, are not compatible with disease control tactics. There are numerous antecedents to prove that assertion, including the Philadelphia parade 102 years ago that was instrumental in spreading the Spanish Flu epidemic, believed to have claimed up to 50 million lives. 

Organizers of a weekend march in Toronto distributed pamphlets urging "post-rally safety" (see above), and urged Covid testing for participants in street demonstrations. Meanwhile, medical organizations including the American Academy of Dermatology have added their voices to calls for racial equality and justice, as the political aspects of Mr. Floyd's evident murder move toward centre-stage.

The simultaneous occurrence of two virulent pathogens, one a fatal virus and the other systemic racism, could not be more injurious to public wellbeing. Mr. Floyd's murder, and the similar and ongoing executions of citizens of colour, disgusts and angers each of us; at the same time, it's unexpected that efforts to flatten the infection curve may be set back by public protests against the societal plague that is racism. 

COVID CHRONICLE 06/02/20

• A web-based study has looked at the mental health outcomes of front and second line workers in Italy following the pandemic. Published in JAMA, researchers found that a significant amount of mental health issues are affecting front line workers following treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• According to a study published in the journal of Gastroenterology, the virus (COVD-19) was found in the stool of over half the patients included in the study, even after patients had tested negative following a nose and throat swab. This has prompted researchers and scientists to look at testing wastewater as a prediction tool for the second wave of COVID-19.
• A research letter published May 28, 2020 in JAMA looked at prescription fill patterns of commonly used drugs during the pandemic. Researchers found that despite the conflicting information on the use of hydroxychloroquine prescriptions jumped significantly from 2019. 

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

Assistant Editor Cory Perla, is working on an article examining the relationship between COVD-19 and breastfeeding for the upcoming issue of Pediatric Chronicle. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

The debut album by 20-year-old Oshawa, Ont. singer Lennon Stella, "Three. Two. One." 

WE ARE READING... 

So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. If you are looking for more anti-racist book recommendations the bookstore chain Indigo has complied a list.

TONIGHT WE ARE COOKING...

It's instant-pot mac & cheese night one more time.


TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

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. My colleague Cory will pick up Covid coverage tomorrow.