Time to layer up, Canada. Dr. Tam wants you wearing thicker masks

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

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 11/05: 250,698*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 11/05: 10,385*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 11/05: 48,175,559*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 11/05: 1,226,915*

November 5, 2020—Happy Thursday, fellow CurveFlatteners. Counting down the last two days of the week (even as they continue to count ballots in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and points beyond) is your editorial assistant extraordinaire, Jeremy Visser. 

While the weather tends to fluctuate back and forth these days here in southern Ontario, Canada's chief health officer Dr. Theresa Tam recommends non-medical masks have three layers as we begin to spend the concluding months of 2020 indoors. This means two layers of a fabric-like cotton or linen with a filter-type fabric in between such as non-woven polypropylene fabric. If, like me, you have a fashionable collection of two-layer masks, now is the time to update those face-coverings with a filter. It's going to be a long winter. What better purpose for learning to sew, other than mask alterations?

Accompanying updated information on mask-safety (which coincides with Ontario's highest recorded level of positive Covid-19 cases reported yesterday), Premier Doug Ford yesterday eased restrictions. In lieu of "Phase 1 through 3" stages of reopening, the province has now switched over to a new framework of restrictions. As the numbers keep climbing, Ontario this week changed its system of issuing public health guidelines, from a number system to something this reporter is frankly struggling to comprehend. The only thing that seems clear to me is that winter is on its way.

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 Kevin Leshuk. 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 11/05/2020

• A recent study from Glasgow Caledonian University has linked lockdown living to poor mental health in Scotland. The researchers have linked a rise in lack of sleep, exercise, and an unhealthy diet as main contributors to declining mental health. The study also found a link between higher alcohol consumption for those living with children and poorer diets for those whose job was affected by Covid-19.
• A Rutgers study looking at a New Jersey hospital between April and June has suggested that support staff and Black and Latinx hospital employees, with and without patient care responsibilities, are at the highest risk of Covid-19 infection. The researchers were surprised to find that physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians had much lower infection rates. 

• An article published in BMC Medicine has identified four significant predictors of Covid-19 cases. Using data from the outbreak in New York City, the researchers suggested that neighbourhoods with higher population densities, neighbourhoods with younger populations, households with lower income, and race were all major predictors of positive cases.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

With the 14th annual National Pharmaceutical Congress coming to a close, I'll be tending to business as usual with the NPC Podcast and looking ahead to the NPC Winter Webinar which is scheduled for February 10th. Keep an eye out at pharmacongress.info for more details.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE PLAYING... 

Ring Fit Adventure. After some less than enthusiastic attempts at following along to YouTube fitness tutorials, I've decided to turn to video games. So I hold a plastic circle, staring at a TV, while doing squats and yoga poses in a Nintendo game. You really can't make this stuff up. Should be good for the inevitable winter lockdown though.


TONIGHT WE ARE READING... 

Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu. That's correct, horror manga artist Junji Ito, famous for his terrifying graphic novel Uzumaki, has written a book about his cats. And I can't put it down.

HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING?

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 day. Allan Ryan will be back tomorrow to finish up the week.