Mrs. Keenan, 90, heads the queue as Covid vaccinations begin

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⇒ Issue #146 (In numerology, 146 stands for companionship and coexistence.)

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 12/09: 432,743*

⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 12/09: 12,887*

⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 12/09: 68,347,376*

⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 12/09: 1,559,709*

December 9, 2020—Hello there, CurveFlatteners. It's Kylie Rebernik of Chronicle reporting to you this morning.

Somehow, we've already arrived at the second Hump Day of the last month of the year. There are only three more Wednesdays to go until we can wave goodbye to this rotten, no-good, terrible year. Yesterday (12/09/2020), health and government officials in the U.K. administered the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Mrs. Margaret Keenan (photo right), a 90-year-old woman who lives in Coventry, England, was the first to receive a dose. Millions of Brits will follow in the days ahead.

Here in Canada, the story is different. Ontario hospitals are cancelling elective procedures as Covid-19 cases surge, and as of yesterday, Alberta reported 1,735 new cases, Ontario logged 1,925, and Quebec tallied 1,577. Of the cases reported in Ontario, 333 were from Ontario's public schools, with nearly one in five public schools reporting at least one active case. 

Although the holiday season will seem very different for many this year, I hope you will participate in some seasonal traditions. For me, that will involve watching the Griswolds, the clan famed through the "National Lampoon Family Vacation" series of filmed entertainments (see below.) This year, I'll get to re-enact a portion of the movie script by reciting, "Mom? This box is meowing," at exactly the scene when my cat, Snowy, thinks all the boxes are intended for her. 

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 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 12-09-2020

• An investigation has revealed that countered in the European Union have stockpiled 220 million doses of remdesivir, despite a lack of clinical evidence showing its effectiveness against Covid-19. The investigation was published in the British Medical Journal (Dec. 8, 2020). 

• Canadian military reservists are preparing to deploy in the Prairies as Covid-19 cases soar in western Canada. According to an article published on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's website, the Canadian military members will undergo training in Alberta to assist with fatalities in the Prairie provinces' long-term care homes. 
• A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Dec 4, 2020) has found that although Black patients were more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than Caucasian subjects, Black patients have a lower mortality rate. The cohort study included data from 9,722 patients. 

TODAY CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON

The Fall/Winter edition of the Canadian Journal of Medical Cannabis will begin making its way to readers via Canada Post. It will include an update summarizing the events of the recent Real World Medicannabis meeting. 

TONIGHT I AM EATING...

A "Camp Fire" Bundle. Although I am not sure what the name of this delicacy might be, I am mixing Brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, asparagus and turkey sausage in a casserole dish and roasting it all together in the oven. 

TOMORROW AND TOMORROW 

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.