We have reached another weekend, if that means anything to any of us anymore.
Everything looks different in some ways in many parts of the world right now, and similar in others. We’re all in this strange situation where we are going through something together but with our own individual struggles and worries layered on top of that. I have no advice, and I’m personally pretty burnt out on content telling me how productive I should or should not be right now. Just do your best, on any particular day. We’re all just doing our best.
Also, just for clarity the case numbers I list for individual countries are total confirmed cases of COVID-19; they don’t include people who have since recovered and of course, they don’t include unconfirmed cases.
Around the World
In Canada (12,900 cases, 218 deaths), Ontario released unsettling projections about the potential COVID-19 death toll. Testing still varies across the country. Amid all this, the Canadian government is trying to negotiate against Donald Trump’s insistence that 3M not send masks to Canada and other countries.
In the United States (305,000 cases, 8,291 deaths), New York continues to be the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak. Funeral homes are overwhelmed and an emergency alert for potential medical workers was sent out to help with the burden on hospitals. But other parts of the country are also areas of concern: Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana. Amid all this, the country came together on one question: why the hell was Jared Kushner put in charge of anything?
In Brazil (10,200 cases, 431 deaths), favelas are preparing for a coronavirus outbreak while the country’s president contradicts other members of his government and a lack of needed equipment looms.
Health officials are warning about the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19 on countries with developing economies or overburdened healthcare systems, including India (3,000 cases, 86 deaths). Many people were taken by surprise by the lockdown on movement from and within the country, leading to mass migration and economic problems.
Congo (148 cases, 16 deaths) has dealt with another recent devastating outbreak of disease; Ebola has killed more than 2,000 people in Goma over the last two years. Some of the lessons learned may be helpful for the coronavirus cases many in the country assume are coming.
Brazil has gotten the most attention of the South American countries dealing with coronavirus, but there are increasing signs of a growing outbreak in other countries on the continent. For example, in Ecuador (3,400 cases, 172 deaths) bodies are being left in hospitals, homes, and the streets in Guayaquil and the number of cases and deaths are believed to be much higher than the official totals.
Coronavirus deaths continue to rise in Spain (124,000 cases, 11,800 deaths), which now has the second-highest number of confirmed cases of any country. In a small bit of heartwarming news, the owner of a hotel that is closed to the outbreak has provided rooms to migrants and refugees in need of them. It’s almost like housing is a right!
The UK (42,400 cases, 4,320 deaths) should expect high numbers of COVID-19 deaths to continue, the country’s health authorities warned, even with social isolation measures. The government has promised the country will be doing 100,000 tests daily by the end of April after critcism about the lack of testing.
Malawi (4 cases, 0 deaths) has a limited number of confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, but an outbreak would quickly overwhelm the country’s healthcare system. In all of Malawi there are just 25 ICU beds and seven ventilators, and only 20 people can be tested daily.
A few months after being the first country to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak, China (82,500 cases, 3,300 deaths) is now seeing days with no confirmed local transmission. Now, without a treatment or vaccine for the virus and with the country returning to daily public life, the focus is on suppression.
Small signs of hope are beginning to emerge in Italy (124,600 cases, 15,362 deaths), which has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths of any country. On Saturday, the country recorded its first drop in the number of ICU cases of coronavirus since Italy’s outbreak began.
North Korea (0 cases, 0 deaths) claims to have a total lack of confirmed COVID-19 cases. That is probably not true!
Germany (95,600 cases, 1,444 deaths) has a high number of coronavirus cases but a relatively low number of deaths, especially compared to nearby France, Spain, and Italy. There are a lot of reasons for this, but a strong healthcare system and widespread testing are believed to be among them.
Should you wear a mask?
This week, the Centers for Disease Control in the United States advised people to wear cloth face masks or other facial coverings when in public. Donald Trump quickly undercut that guideline by saying it is voluntary and not one he plans to follow, but he looked right into a solar eclipse so I don’t think anybody expected sense there.
The idea of reducing disease transmission by wearing facial coverings in public is not new. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, it was illegal not to do so in some parts of the U.S. In some parts of Asia, cloth face masks are commonly worn and have been credited with helping to contain COVID-19.
But should you start wearing a cloth facial mask when you leave the house?
Part of the argument for masks is made by what we are continuing to learn about coronavirus transmission. Some people who have COVID-19 have only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. It also appears that people are most contagious soon after they’ve contracted coronavirus — which can be while they are asymptomatic even if they do develop conventional symptoms a few days later. We’d all hope that people who are sick will just be at home right now, but there are many people who may be sick and not yet know it.
You know how you can see your breath in the air when it’s cold outside? That’s because of condensation — the water vapours in your breath condense into tiny droplets and ice in the air and become visible. But whether we can see them or not, those vapours are always there and they are part of how disease transmits from one person to the next.
But these vapours are not made equal. Ed Yong of The Atlantic explained it better than I can:
Some scientists say that it’s too early to assert that COVID-19 is or is not airborne in the way they define it. This illustrates one of the big challenges to giving public health advice about coronavirus: there are still a lot of things about this that just aren’t known yet. But we do know it moves in some way through the air and our breath.
The idea behind masks is that they will catch some of the droplets that come out of your mouth. It won’t catch all of the droplets, and it won’t prevent all of others’ from getting through to you. But just as each of us reducing the number of people we are in contact with day to day, as much as possible, has an overall effect on disease transmission, the argument in favour of masks is that they would work similarly.
However, masks aren’t meant to replace other efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing, frequent handwashing, isolation if you have symptoms or known exposure — all of these things are essential. If you wear a mask but touch your face more because you are constantly adjusting it or fail to clean it, that’s not helpful. A mask also might not offer you, specifically, that much protection and shouldn’t provide a sense of false security.
But should wear one? If you have access to one you can wash after every use, and if you can wear it without fidgeting with it constantly, and if you don’t use it as an excuse to go out more often or wash your hands less frequently, then the evidence…is still not totally clear. Some studies show a benefit. Some others show a minor benefit, or a benefit in combination with hand washing, or no benefit. Cloth masks aren’t going to prevent all droplets from getting in, which is why other containment measures remain vital. They will prevent some from getting out, which helps others — especially if you are contagious and do not know it.
I’m not a public health expert, and there is still disagreement and a lack of information on this. I am personally looking at cloth mask options for when I do have to leave the house, but I’m keeping in mind that it is just one more measure I can take on top of the others I’m already taking.
If you would also like a mask, there are some ways to make something yourself. If you can sew, there are many patterns online. If you cannot sew, you are not out of luck. You can try to make a mask out of paper, an old tshirt, a handkerchief, a reusable grocery bag, or fabric you have on hand. Apparently, this snorkel mask I happen to own is also an option, but not yet one I am ready to use.
What you shouldn’t do — unless you are specifically advised to for medical reasons or are someone working in a high-risk environment providing masks — is acquire and use N95 or surgical masks. Medical professionals are experiencing shortages of these masks for a variety of reasons related to a mix of supply chain problems, increased demand, and consumer hoarding.
In the United States, hospitals and governments are going to extreme lengths to get their hands on the surgical and N95 masks that medical professionals need to do their jobs safely and deal with surgest in COVID-19 cases. Canada is working to get more masks (via a partnership with Amazon, which presents its own problems) but also has concerns about shortages. Don’t contribute by hoarding, and find a way to donate them if you have some.
Fun Things
It’s the weekend! With that in mind, let’s end on a fun note.
The NBA hosted — and ESPN aired — a tournament of players in their own league and others competing in the most recent basketball video game release. Next up? Maybe a virtual H-O-R-S-E competition!
I admit that musicals are not really my thing, but I recognize the impact of Broadway’s closure. If you enjoy musicals, and/or have kids to entertain, and/or have Amazon Prime, you can stream the SpongeBob Squarepants musical, a thing that exists.