Linda Li, B.Sc., Pharm. D.
In the past month, the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 stands for “Coronavirus Disease 2019” and it is caused by a novel strain of coronavirus, the 2019-nCoV strain. The situation has changed drastically over the past few weeks.
A snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic on April 7 30, 2020:
Lockdown
- In hopes of curbing the spread of COVID-19, the Canadian border has been closed to foreigners and many provinces/territories are currently in a state of emergency or lockdown
- All Canadians should practice social distancing and only leave the household for essential activities (i.e. groceries, pharmacy, etc.)
- The Ontario government has recently banned gatherings of 5 or more people in order to emphasize the importance of social distancing
Social Distancing
- Our healthcare system has a limited number of ICU beds, ventilators and other resources
- The only way to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system is to practice social distancing
- In countries where the healthcare system is completely overwhelmed (ie. Italy, Spain), mortality rates are high (~10%)
- Save lives by staying home
What should I do if I think I might have COVID-19?
How can I protect myself and others?
- STAY HOME!!!!
- Avoid close contact (2 meters)
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
Your Community Pharmacy
- Pharmacies and pharmaceutical care is considered an essential service – pharmacies will stay open during this time
- As per the Ontario government, pharmacies will only dispense a 30-day supply of medications during this time – this is to ensure that everybody has access to a supply of medications and to prevent unnecessary hoarding
- Protect yourself, your family and your community by only coming to the pharmacy if you require urgent refills or immediate pharmaceutical care
- Let us deliver to you! Markland Wood Pharmacy delivers your medications free of charge (please contact 416-621-2000 for more information)
Hydroxychloroquine
- Hydroxychloroquine is a medication that is used to treat some medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and malaria
- There has been an increased interest in whether this medication is effective for treating COVID-19 and there are currently trials underway
- As of right now, there is insufficient data supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 (this is a joint statement released by the colleges of pharmacy, medicine and nursing: OCP, OMA and RNAO)
What will happen in the weeks to come?
- The number of confirmed cases in Canada will continue to rise
- As evident from the graph above, we have not reached our apex yet (peak of the curve on the time distribution of cases graph)
- It is important to remember that most COVID-19 cases do not require hospitalization and very few require ICU care
- We should hopefully see the effects of our lockdown and social distancing practices in the next 1-2 weeks
- Please continue to stay home and practice frequent hand hygiene
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