First a pandemic, and now Toronto's mayor gets his own TikTok account: What a year

    

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 National Pharmaceutical Congress. More info at pharmacongress.info

⇒ Issue #152 (In numerology, 152 is all about building. It speaks of positive change that may come from a business partnership or creative collaboration.)

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 12/23: 525,585*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 12/23: 14,444*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 12/23: 78,130,493*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 12/23: 1,719,748*

December 23, 2020—What-ho, CurveFlatteners. It's Jeremy Visser at the keyboard today, appropriating the signature greeting of my colleague John "What-ho" Evans, who popularized the phrase, along with the wearing of spats and his trademark monocle.  

While the holidays provide a good time to reflect on the year that's passed, I'm more preoccupied with the uncertain year we're about to enter. The Ontario education ministry has just recommended that school boards encourage students to clean out their desks if their school moves to a strictly virtual format in 2021. If only I had been so wise and not left my favourite mug and tea selection at the office. 

A national survey by Nanos Research suggests that most Canadians will celebrate the holiday season with fewer family and friends. The majority favour a strict lockdown. But fewer family and friends may not prove sufficient for curve flattening. According to a study from the Angus Reid Institute, 30 per cent of Canadians still plan to visit relatives and friends locally. I'm all for the closing of non-essential businesses, as Quebec will mandate from Christmas Day until January 11th, following an announcement by Premier François Legault. But will the resulting hit sustained by the economy count for much if we're all still partying in our homes this holiday, oblivious to the potential spread of the virus?

Despite the current lockdown, Covid numbers keep rising. Last week, Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's top doc, stressed the importance of staying apart during the holidays. Will anyone listen? I guess we'll see in 2021. Until then, I'll be counting my blessings, not the least of which includes Toronto Mayor John Tory creating some truly stylish TikTok videos to promote social distancing.

The NPC Podcast is back for another season. The National Pharmaceutical Congress organizers are proud to release our new weekly podcast series, hosted by Peter Brenders. Peter's guest this week is Mike Cloutier. 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 12/23/2020

• Researchers at the University of Ottawa have linked healthcare workers to having increased insomnia and risk of severe mental health problems. The article published in Psychiatry Research reviewed 55 global studies with nearly 190,000 participants, which reviewed the prevalence of symptoms, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychological distress.

• Research done at the University of Vermont has found that 26 per cent of those visiting parks during the beginning of the pandemic had rarely or never gone exploring in nature in 2019. The study surveyed over 400 participants at more than 25 parks in Vermont. Almost 70 per cent of park users increased their visits to nature this year, with 81 per cent stressing the importance of access to nature during the pandemic.

• Research published in Educational Researcher suggested that half of the parents turned teacher had one child struggling with learning from home. The study, a nationally representative survey of 3,338 households in the U.S., also reported that parents whose children were struggling were more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

My multi-nicknamed Chronicle colleague Corwyn "Knuckles" Perla, notorious in Hertel Village as "9NINE8," has constructed a pair of highlight-videos for the Real World MediCannabis virtual symposium that occurred earlier this month. You can view the best of day 1 here and day 2 here. 

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

My Anti-Christmas Playlist. Let me preface by saying I'm not anti-Christmas. However, my casual disdain for Christmas music spurred a carefully curated selection of anti-Christmasy music that eventually included metal Christmas carols and pro-Christmasy songs. From "Santa Stole My Girlfriend" and "Gary the Green Nosed Reindeer," it's full of seasonal classics and beats having a silent night. I know that my coworker Knuckles would certainly approve.

TONIGHT WE ARE WATCHING... 

Die Hard. It's a classic Christmas movie, but last year it didn't make the cut in our Christmas movie playlist. This year, we will celebrate it properly with John McClane and Hans Gruber. Yipee-ki-yay, to all and to all a good night.

HOW IS YOUR WEEK GOING?

Please use 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.

Allan Ryan will be here tomorrow to stick a fork in this historic year. Stay in touch, stay safe, and enjoy your day.