It's a national, year-long game of "Green Light, Red Light"

 

The NPC Healthbiz Weekly is here to keep on informing you through Q2 of 2021. It's your weekly briefing on topics pertinent to healthcare marketers and executives published in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions. 

⇒ Issue #176 (In numerology, 176 represents an expression of personal freedom.)

⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 04/01: 129,015,662*

⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 04/01: 2,818,170*

⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 04/01: 988,808*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 04/01: 22,960*

⇒ Number of vaccine doses administered to Canadians as of 04/01: 5,690,380*

April 1, 2021—Happy April Fool's Day, CurveFlatteners. The fool at the keyboard today is editorial assistant Jeremy Visser, typing away from his home office in Etobicoke, Ont., surrounded by bookshelves filled with board games and video games. Why is this relevant? Please tolerate my response.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI, to their friends) has updated their guidelines for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the third time in 30 days. NACI Chair Caroline Quach-Thanh has compared the rollout of the AZ shot to a roller coaster. However, I argue it's a little more like a game of Green Light, Red Light. 

You may be familiar with the children's game that involves stopping and going at the verbal mention of, as the name might infer, a red or green light. Well, while the AZ vaccine got the green light in February, it was given the red light for those over the age of 65, due to concerns around blood clots. Two weeks later, it was given the green light for seniors again, but now it's been red-lit for those under 55, citing that ol' blood clot issue. Even more confusing is the invocation of guidelines, as NACI has said that the benefits of getting the vaccine still outweigh the risks, despite their guidelines.

In British Columbia, Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry has similarly given the red light to gyms, places of worship and indoor dining at restaurants. This was days after giving the green light to ease restrictions and reopen in a limited capacity. The whiplash-inducing game seems to be a favourite in many provinces.

Ontario has been especially fond of the game, as the Greater Toronto Area has gone in and out of lockdowns as often as Premier Doug Ford sees fit. Our jaunty Premier has hinted at a holiday red light, warning those in the GTA: "Don't make plans for Easter...I won't hesitate to lock things down if we have to. I did it before. I'll do it again." While March Break has been pushed to April Break for students and recently given the green light, no promises have been made that it won't be postponed or given the red light again. After all, that's how the game works. And make no mistake, foolish readers, it does indeed appear to some to be a game. So here then, to play us out, is today's theme music:

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 most recent guest is Sheryl Groeneweg, Director General of the Manufacturing and Life Sciences Branch of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. 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 04/01/2021

• New research suggests that widespread facemask use is integral to controlling the pandemic during the easing of lockdown measures. A mathematical model published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface shows that mask use, even among the vaccinated, is key to keeping Covid-19 numbers down as lockdowns lift. The authors also stressed the importance of handwashing and social distancing alongside use of facemasks to prevent more red light, green light in lockdown restrictions.

• A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology suggests that clear public health guidelines are more effective in combating the pandemic than relying on fear of it. The authors based the study on large surveys across Western democratic countries and the findings showed that when people felt informed and had clear instructions such as social distancing and wearing facemasks, they did not need to rely on fear for motivation in doing their part to battle the pandemic.

• According to a review published in Lancet Global Health, pregnancy outcomes have worsened during the pandemic. The authors reviewed 40 studies from 17 countries and seen reports of increased overall stillbirth, maternal death and worsened maternal mental health in the past year.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

Exciting news. Season Four of the NPC Podcast has been given the, er, green light! Presented in co-operation with our friends at Impres, the redoubtable Peter Brenders will reprise his role as your host for another eight episodes. More info to come soon at pharmacongress.info.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE PLAYING... 

Fluxx. It's a card game where the rules are constantly in "flux" as it were, meaning that every turn players can change up the goal to win or any of the rules of play with the right cards. It's fun, but it gets old really fast. It also sounds vaguely familiar to something else I was just talking about, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

TONIGHT WE ARE LISTENING TO...

Widmore. I stumbled upon this band on Spotify and recognized their name and song title as a famous quote from the TV Series Lost. That caught my attention, but the Calgary-based metalcore band kept me around with some great tunes. I'm hoping to check them out post-Covid, should listening to live music resume being a thing again.

HOW IS YOUR WEEK GOING?

Please use the comments section at the 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. There's no newsletter tomorrow, in keeping with the statutory Good Friday holiday in here Ontario. Allan Ryan will return next Thursday with more pandemic updates. Stay in touch, stay safe, and enjoy your long weekend.