Surf’s up, dudes. Here comes the third wave

The NPC Healthbiz Weekly is here to inform you through 2021. It's your weekly briefing on topics pertinent to healthcare marketers and executives published in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions. 

⇒ Issue #173 (In numerology, 173 is about friendship and mutual support.)

⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 03/19: 121,902,852*

⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 03/19: 2,693,289*

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 03/19: 928,283*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 03/19: 22,577*

⇒ Number of vaccine doses administered to Canadians as of 03/19: 3,566,328*

March 19, 2021—Welcome to the Friday CurveFlattener, steadfast readers. Almost exactly 24 hours after this newsletter hits your inbox today, it’s the first day of spring. We’ll save our celebrations of spring’s arrival until then because we all sure as heck need something to look forward to. It’s Editorial Director Allan Ryan pounding the QWERTY today to bring you the latest Covid-19 news.

Something called the third wave might be a surfer’s dream, but for most Canadians, it sounds more like a nightmare. On Monday, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) declared that the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is now upon us, fueled by a rapid increase in cases caused by coronavirus variants. In a tweet, the OHA wrote: “[With] new VOC [variants of concern] cases steeply rising and ICU [numbers] trending up (nearing 350 today), strong adherence to public health measures is urgently needed to prevent overwhelming hospitals.”

According to the OHA, their assessment of the third wave's arrival was based on new data released by Ontario’s Covid-19 Science Advisory Table.

The scientific director of Ontario’s Science Advisory table reported that variants of concern account for 53% of new infections in the province. Dr. Peter Jüni told the National Post newspaper: “This is extremely, extremely unlikely just to be an undulation. . . The new variants of concern are now leading the epidemic curve.”

In the EU, variants of the Covid-19 virus have forced several governments—including Italy, France, Germany and Poland—to implement new restrictions. Since the beginning of February, slow vaccination campaigns have been partly to blame for the sharp rise in infection rates, which are now at their highest point in the EU. 

Starting last Monday, most of Italy was locked down, and residents could only leave their homes for essential reasons. France has established curfews and social restrictions in parts of the country with higher infection rates, but French physicians call for a country-wide lockdown.

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 Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis, Curriculum Co-Chair for today's Indigenous Skin Spectrum Summit. 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 03/19/2021

• According to this report in The Lancet, people over 65 years of age may be more prone to re-infection by Covid-19. Danish and European researchers' analysis of PCR tests indicates that previous Covid-19 infection provided those under the age of 65 around 80 per cent protection against re-infection for at least six months. Still, for people aged 65 and older, their previous bout with Covid-19 conferred only 47 per cent protection, indicating they may be more likely to be re-infected.
• Slow walkers may have higher odds of experiencing more serious cases of Covid-19, including death. A report in the International Journal of Obesity indicates slow walkers were more than twice as likely to develop severe Covid-19 and 3.75 times more likely to die than those walkers who move at a brisk pace. "We know already that obesity and frailty are key risk factors for Covid-19 outcomes. This is the first study to show that slow walkers have a much higher risk of contracting severe Covid-19 outcomes, irrespective of their weight," said lead researcher Thomas Yates in a University of Leicester press release. "With the pandemic continuing to put unprecedented strain on health care services and communities, identifying individuals at greatest risk and taking preventative measures to protect them is crucial."
• A woman who was given the first dose of the Moderna vaccine at 36 weeks of her pregnancy has given birth to a baby with antibodies against Covid-10. It’s the first known instance of maternal transmission of antibodies. The case was posted on medRxiv, a free online archive server for complete but unpublished manuscripts organized by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), a not-for-profit research and educational institution, Yale University, and the British Medical Journal.

TODAY CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON 

Yesterday was national "Close the Gap Day" and the first day of the Indigenous Skin Spectrum Summit, led by Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis and Dr. Gary Sibbald. You still have time to register for tomorrow’s second session, and you can find the information here.

RIGHT NOW I'M LISTENING TO...

It’s Friday, and we might all welcome a break from the news and developments that continue to rattle our days. Occasionally in this section, I’ll highlight a small gesture of thoughtfulness, the kind that helps us get through these pandemic times. This week, it’s Yo-Yo Ma. After receiving his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Pittsfield, Mass., Ma opened that big case he had been hauling around and broke out his cello. He played for 15 minutes during his post-vaccine observation period. Here’s a clip. 

In September, Ma and classical pianist Emanuel Ax played a series of surprise pop-up concerts for essential workers.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

The CurveFlattener will be back next Thursday with publisher Mitch Shannon at the controls. On Monday, watch for the Skin Spectrum Weekly e-newsletter, and on Tuesday, the NPC Healthbiz Weekly will be distributed. Wednesday is a mid-week doubleheader, with the latest NPC Podcast release and the new CJMC Fortnightly. Until then, enjoy your weekend.