Via CMAJ: COVID-19: Recent updates on the coronavirus pandemic. Excerpt:
Apr. 1: More than 100 deaths in Canada linked to COVID-19
• Canada reported 105 deaths related to COVID-19 and more than 9,000 confirmed cases. Quebec has the most cases in Canada, with 4,162 infections and 31 deaths.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to answer how many more deaths are expected based on federal modelling, or how long physical distancing measures will remain in place, saying there are various scenarios.
• Companies that help people with advance planning reported that unprecedented numbers of Canadians made wills and signed powers of attorney in the past two weeks.
Apr. 1: Looming drug shortages
• Global supply chain problems related to COVID-19 will probably lead to shortages of drugs and medical devices, according to deputy health minister Stephen Lucas. Health Canada is working with regulators in the United States, Australia and Europe to spot where disruptions may occur and find substitute products, Lucas told the House of Commons health committee.
Apr. 1: Provinces building makeshift hospitals
• Three provinces announced plans to set up makeshift hospitals in repurposed buildings. British Columbia is outfitting a Vancouver convention centre, while Ontario is allowing hospitals to temporarily lease space in hotels and retirement homes and Quebec has identified 4,000 hotel rooms that could be used.
Apr. 1: Researchers face layoffs as non-essential trials shut down
• Research programs are unsure if and how they can use federal grant money to continue paying employees while studies unrelated to COVID-19 are on hold. University Health Network in Toronto is preparing to lose a projected $6 million a month as a result of the shutdown. However, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research confirmed that staff pay is an eligible grant expense given the “exceptional” circumstances.
Apr. 1: Many COVID-19 cases may be asymptomatic
• A quarter of people with COVID-19 may not show symptoms but still spread the virus, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Iceland, one screening program that has tested about 9,000 self-selected people reported that about half of those who tested positive for COVID-19 were asymptomatic.
Apr. 1: Growing debate over face masks
• Some health experts argued Western countries have made a mistake by discouraging healthy people from wearing face masks, given that asymptomatic people can spread the virus. Health officials in some Asian countries point to pro-mask policies as key to controlling the pandemic, and this week Austria banned members of the public from entering supermarkets without wearing one.
