We are blessed

Well

I could write for a week. It is tough to keep up. I now have two lovely women helping me with this Facebook page. My daughter, Elise and an International Development student, Maddy. There are often 400 comments following each post. Lot's of lively debate and conversation, I must say. We want to answer all of the questions if possible and we want to make sure your donations are getting into the hands of people who need them, right away.

Today, I sent $4,000 to the Guelph Community Foundation's Respond, Recover, Rebuild COVID relief fund. Here is a link to their fundraising page with details as to how they have partnered with the United Way to help locally:

https://www.guelphcf.ca/covid19.aspx

Thank you Chris Willard, executive director of the foundation. The fund was your idea and it is brilliant. Pretty nice having you come to my back to to receive these funds today. That back door is a miraculous place.

Collaborations are marvellous and vital to the wellbeing of us all.

One of you dropped off surgical masks today. Thank you. We can't practise medicine without them. We received more cloth masks and a request for more masks from our First Nations communities around Parry Sound. Lot's of debate about masks. I think it is time to close the subject unless and until further research changes present recommendations
The Center for Disease Control ( a global authority on infectious disease) says this:

"In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission"

And our ownHealth Canada recommends this:

"It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus. The use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others is recommended. It can be useful for short periods of time, when physical distancing is not possible in public settings, such as when grocery shopping or using public transit."

Everyone is, of course, welcome to have their own opinions on this matter. Some are quite hostile about it. I choose to follow the science and the world renowned experts.

More good news:

Ontario reported 308 additional cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the third straight day that the growth rate in new cases has been below 2 per cent.

Doubling time for deaths is now above 20 days.
Patients in ICU have declined for three straight days.

I will say it again with confidence and enthusiasm even after a 10 hour day of trials and tribulations in primary care medicine, we are crushing this virus.

BUT, our world is now different and much more challenging than any of us ever imagined. Never underestimate the power inherent in the human spirit when we strive to put others first and reach out to our fellow man. The evidence is everywhere. We are capable of adapting, of pivoting in order to not only survive but to thrive moving forward. WE WILL BE OK!

The virus is not gone. The next phase involves a slow and careful return to work with extreme vigilance using protective measures to protect employees from infection and a slow but steady loosening of restrictions. A combination of testing, contact tracing and protective measures will be critical to living with this virus until a vaccine comes.

Make no mistake about it. We can do this. We are blessed. We are struggling but we are hard wired to overcome.

Here's to 19 degrees C and a more reasonable weather forecast by the end of the week.

Anne-Marie

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