Are you an Infection Fighter? Half of Canadians think they are

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⇒ Issue #104 (In numerology, 104 expresses personal freedom.)
⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 09/02: 131,422*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 09/02: 9,179*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 09/02: 25,784,154*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 09/02: 857,794*

September 2, 2020—Coming to you direct from the shadow of the Main Street lift-bridge spanning the old Welland Canal in Welland, Ont., it’s Chronicle editorial director Allan Ryan bringing you today’s Daily Curve Flattener.

A poll released on August 17 found that nearly half of Canadians identify as ‘Infection Fighters’: people who say they strictly adhere to Covid-19 safety recommendations. 

The Angus Reid online survey of 1,511 Canadians reported results in three broad categories the researchers have labelled the Covid-19 Compliance Index. In addition to the Infection Fighter category, the survey also revealed the ‘Inconsistent’ category that according to the survey represents about one-third of Canadians, a group who take a lackadaisical approach to the virus and practice handwashing, physical distancing and wear masks about half the time. 

The third category, about 18 per cent of those surveyed, was branded ‘Cynical Spreaders’—people who are expanding their social circles, choose not to physically distance and are ambivalent about handwashing and mask-wearing. This group also profess what the Angus Reid pollsters describe as “a clear dislike for the way public health officials and political leaders have handled the pandemic.” 

Another key factor is the age of the survey respondent, according to Angus Reid. The younger the respondent, the less likely they were to comply with recommended practices.

Political affiliation was also correlated with a person’s categorization in the Index. Past Conservative party voters turn out to be four times more likely to be Cynical Spreaders than those who voted for the Libs or the NDP in 2019.

In the U.S., this Gallup poll in early August revealed that one in three Americans would not consider getting a vaccination against Covid-19, even if the vaccine was U.S. FDA-approved and free of charge.

As with the Angus Reid survey conducted in Canada, the July 20-Aug. 2 poll reinforces Gallup’s consistent observation that U.S. party preferences play a strong role in Americans’ views on Covid-19. Eighty-one per cent of Democrats would choose vaccination if a free and FDA-approved vaccine were available. That compares with 59 per cent of independents and just under half of Republicans, 47 per cent.

COVID CHRONICLE 09/02/2020

• This literature review assessed predictors of Covid-19 severity to help front-line healthcare workers predict as early as possible which patients might be prone to serious cases or mortality. The findings may also help to relieve pressure on healthcare systems by directing non-severe cases away from hospitals. Predictors of disease severity and/or mortality include age greater than 55 years, multiple pre-existing comorbidities, hypoxia, specific computed tomography findings indicative of extensive lung involvement, diverse laboratory test abnormalities, and biomarkers of end-organ dysfunction.
  
• In Hamilton, McMaster University researchers have developed a rapid test to detect antibodies for the strain of coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The finger prick test can be done at home with results in 15 minutes and determines if the person was ever infected with the virus up to three months after a potential infection. More information can be found here.
  
• A neurologist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, puzzled by the ‘cacophony of sound’ emanating from the lungs of comatose Covid-19 patients, has excited lung specialists with her observation. While assessing these comatose patients for stroke risk using a robotic Doppler, Dr. Alexandra Reynolds noted that air bubbles in the bloodstream, created by an injection of saline as part of the stroke risk test, were not being filtered by the lungs of the patient, as they typically would. The finding may help explain why the sickest coronavirus patients sometimes do not get enough oxygen despite being placed on ventilators.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

Senior Editor John Evans is working on an article about the development of a Patient Charter for people living with conditions such as psoriasis, scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy.


TONIGHT WE ARE LISTENING TO:

Sixto Rodriguez. Have been fascinated by this singer/songwriter from Detroit since I first watched the documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" (which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2013).

When his first two albums, released in 1970 and 1971, failed to have much impact, Rodriquez quit the music business. Rumours abounded that he was so depressed by the poor reception of this music that he had committed suicide, but decades later his songs became popular in South Africa. The documentary crew set out to find Rodriquez, and they located him in Detroit where he was working in construction. Rodriquez was convinced to do a comeback tour in South Africa where he performed for enraptured audiences, and so his music career began again. 

These links will take you to a couple of sample cuts: Crucify Your Mind  and Sugar Man 
See what you think.


TONIGHT WE ARE HAVING

I’m thanking my lucky stars today the neighbours have green thumbs. They just dropped off some ears of corn fresh from the stalk, a basket of ripe field tomatoes and some carrots and green peppers. Not sure yet how I’ll make use of these beauties, but even with my limited culinary skills I don’t think I can screw dinner up too badly.


TOMORROW

Chronicle's John Evans continues our coverage of Covid matters.