At home and abroad, governments make plans for Covid's next wave

The NPC Healthbiz Weekly has launched. It's your weekly briefing on topics pertinent to healthcare marketers and executives, published in co-operation with Peak Pharma Solutions. From Chronicle Companies, organizers of the 14th National Pharmaceutical Congress, which begins Oct. 21. More info at pharmacongress.info

⇒ Issue #115 (In numerology, 115 represents introspection, wisdom, and independence.)
⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 09/25: 151,087*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 09/25: 9,297*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 09/25: 32,261,676*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 09/25: 983,492*

September 25, 2020—Welcome to the weekend, Curveflatteners. It's John Evans reporting today, anticipating the arrival of two glorious days to take socially-distanced walks, work on craft projects at home, and binge on TV. While we had an enjoyable phase of loosened social-contact restrictions over the summer due to good curve-flattening in the spring, with the surging cases that Mitch mentioned yesterday it looks like things will likely be tightened up again for our safety. Around the world, nations are already ramping up their protective measures.

The government of France restricted public gatherings to groups of 10 earlier this month, and mandated masks in indoor spaces for anyone aged 11 years or older.

The U.K. has imposed new restrictions in the face of surging case numbers. In particular, requiring pubs, restaurants, and other entertainment venues in England to close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time, and urging people to work from home where possible. 

More locally, the province of Quebec has restored more restrictive regulations on its most populous regions, including the cities of Montreal and Quebec City. Those restrictions include reducing the maximum number of people allowed at a private gathering to six from 10, unless that gathering is limited to members of two different families. Bars and restaurants in those areas must close at midnight, and a maximum of 25 people can participate in events such as weddings and religious services. 

Here in Ontario, home to your reporter, the government is in the process of drafting a fall preparedness plan for managing Covid-19. While it is not official, a leaked draft of the document suggests that the provincial government would prefer to use targeted restrictions on individual organizations or communities, rather than across-the-board shutdowns. 

The NPC Podcast is back. The organizers of the National Pharmaceutical Congress are proud to release our new weekly podcast series, hosted by Peter Brenders. Peter's guest this week is Sheila Frame of Sandoz. Listen here now, or download the episode and play it at your convenience. The NPC Podcast is presented in cooperation with Impres Pharma

COVID CHRONICLE 09/25/2020

• One business that has been 'up' in Canada during the pandemic has been the cannabis industry, reports Vice. In July 2020, Canadians spent $231.6 million on cannabis, up from $104.5 million in the same month last year. Omar Khan, the national cannabis sector lead with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, was quoted by Vice saying that the pandemic is a factor in the boost in sales, with more people staying home with few entertainment options. However, he said, more stores that sell cannabis products opening in Ontario, increasing supplies, and decreasing prices are also factors that likely contributed.
• Early animal-model research from Germany has identified several antibodies to Covid-19 which appear to be effective and safe at binding the pathogen, potentially representing a route to passive vaccination—providing disease protection without inducing an immune response. While the protection afforded by passive vaccination is less persistent, it has a faster onset, the researchers note. 
• Use of statin medications appears to be associated with reduced Covid-19 severity and faster recovery, and now a group of researchers from the University of California San Diego believes they know why. The medications reduce the number of cholesterol molecules in the membranes of cells—molecules the virus uses to enter and commandeer those cells. They published their findings in The EMBO Journal. 

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

As part of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy's ongoing celebration of its 25th anniversary, my colleague assistant editor Cory Perla is working on a look back at how far we have come in understanding and supporting the skin barrier function.

LATER I AM LISTENING TO...

99 Percent Invisible, episode 414: The Address Book. My favorite podcast about design connects with Deirdre Mask to talk about her book “The Address Book: What street addresses reveal about identity, race, wealth, and power” and to talk about the history of how we have identified where we live.

TONIGHT I AM EATING...

It is Friday again, which is take-out day for John Evans. In spite of the pandemic, two restaurant chains have opened franchises just up the street from me in recent weeks. While I have been trying to support local non-chain restaurants, for the most part, I have been craving a burrito lately and while Burrito Boyz may have unfortunate spelling skills, they do know their way around a tortilla.

SEE YOU NEXT HUMP DAY

CurveFlattener returns next Wednesday with my very capable colleague Kylie Rebernik. Have a great weekend, stay safe, and remember to wash your hands after you're done with your burrito, boyz.