Could this be the second wave, courtesy of partying 'yahoos?'

 

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

⇒ Issue #112 (In numerology, 112 is a highly focused, pragmatic, and independent number.)
⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 09/18: 142,879*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 09/18: 9,249*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 09/18: 30,205,908*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 09/18: 946,685*

September 18, 2020—Happy Friday, fellow CurveFlatteners. Or perhaps I should greet you with "Cautious Friday?" It's editorial assistant Jeremy Visser here at the keyboard today, pondering how we went from flattening the curve to riding the second wave.

In an announcement yesterday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has scaled back restrictions on social gatherings. Social gatherings are now limited to 25 people outside and 10 indoors, with the exclusion of places like movie theatres and gyms (you know, the important things.) Premier Ford insists the cases stem entirely from party-goers, or as he colorfully depicts them, "yahoos" who are "a few fries short of a Happy Meal."™

The premier also assured that places such as public schools had strict protocols in place, even though late funding has created fluctuating class sizes, as parents consider enrolling their children in virtual teaching exercises, at the last minute. With constantly changing class sizes, many teachers have seen their classrooms fill up past recommended limits and have found following public health guidelines on social distancing is not possible.

Meanwhile, Western University in London, Ont. has just shut down non-academic activities after 28 confirmed cases among their students. The university has cut their in-person classes to 25 per cent and restricted access to buildings such as libraries. This is convenient, as the premier has threatened to "throw the book" at reckless youth for rule-breaking. So: no library, no book-throwing prospects.

COVID CHRONICLE 09/18/2020

• A recent report in Reuters cites medical experts recommending smaller class sizes in public schools as Covid-19 cases rise. Dr. Ronald Cohn, president of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, has proposed capping class sizes at 15 and is worried at the number of classes with more than 20 students.
• An article published in JAMA Ophthalmology suggests that people who wear glasses are less likely to be infected with Covid-19. The study of 276 patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19 was done in Suizhou, China. 
• An article published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology has found that Covid-19 can be diagnosed through the same emergency scans that detect strokes. The researchers from King's College London have said the findings have important implications in managing Covid-19 patients who present with a suspected stroke.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

As our second season of the NPC Podcast is in full swing, I'll be wearing my producer hat and working on some editing for the next episode where our host Peter Brenders speaks with Sheila Frame from Sandoz. It'll be out on Wednesday of next week, so there's still time to catch up with the first episode of season two here.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

Belmont's self-titled LP. You know how working from home paired with social distancing starts to feel like you're starring in Groundhog Day? Well, at the very least I have five albums to cycle through to make it feel like each day is different.


TONIGHT WE ARE READING... 

JPod by Douglas Coupland. It's the perfect time to read a quirky book about office workers in cubicles. One of the most memorable books from an unforgettable author, JPod is a reread for me and actually research in melding design with traditional storytelling.


HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

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.

Stay in touch, stay safe and enjoy your weekend. Skin Spectrum Weekly will be out on Monday, and NPC Healthbiz Weekly on Tuesday. The Daily CurveFlattener will return next Wednesday (09/23), with Chronicle's editorial director Allan Ryan delivering your news.

The NPC Podcast is back for another season. 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 Lisa Mullett of Sunovion. Listen here now, or download the episode and play it at your convenience. The NPC Podcast is presented in cooperation with Impres Pharma