Even when the chips are down and it would appear that we are losing, that there is no integrity or goodness in the world, that there is no reason to hope, there is ample proof to the contrary. In just under 24 hours, our fundraising effort raised over $5,000. You have all heard the quote by Sir Edmund Burke, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing". On the flip side, the only thing necessary for the triumph of all that is good and just is for good people to take action. I have witnessed this over and over again. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things does not make headlines, it is not sensational but it changes everything. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Please believe in the power we have to survive COVID 19. There is untapped strength and resilience in all of us. Find it, tap into it and absorb it. Many, many people are struggling emotionally. Passing the six month mark of this pandemic has really knocked the wind out of our sails. Reach out to people who may be in trouble and reach out for help if you are overwhelmed. See the list of supports at the end of this email. In some pockets of the province ( mostly in densely populated urban settings), the rate of positive tests is 10 %. The province-wide percent positivity remains low at 1.8 %. Public health officials, epidemiologists and scientists understand that the 10 % rate sets the stage for an uncontrollable surge. It is impossible to keep up with testing and contact tracing when the percent positivity is greater than five. The country and the province cannot afford any other areas to spiral out of control.....and again, well done Ontario. It appears that outside of these areas we are keeping the virus stable, not great, but stable. We should aim to get the number of new cases down to less than 100 again. When cases remain above 500 a day, it is akin to a match and a tinderbox. The virus is just waiting to take off. In Alberta, eleven percent of cases were in people who were symptomatic while waiting for a test result who continued to work and socialize. It is tough to blame these folks. People need to work and the testing system is clogged. What else can a person do with mild symptoms who has to wait up to a week for results? They must do better. If you have symptoms and you have been tested, please stay home until your test results are in. COVID 19 is very infectious. One symptomatic person waiting for results could spread the virus to hundreds of others. BC is proof that if we all get back to following the guidelines, the curve can be flattened....again. On September 8th, B.C.closed nightclubs and stand-alone banquet halls and stopped the sale of liquor at restaurants past 10 p.m. BC's curve is back to being flat and controlled. This is just more proof that indoor gathering allows for the easy transmission of COVID 19. When we stop unsafe indoor gatherings, the virus can be controlled. Check out this link: https://www.covid-19canada.com/graphs Click on the graph, 'New Cases by Date'. Click to choose the Ontario graph. It is blue. That looks like the start of a flattening curve to me. Can we keep this up? Yes, we can. Don't gather outside of your limited social bubble this weekend. Avoid travel especially to areas where the percent positivity has sky-rocketed. Stay home as much as possible. I had many virtual appointments with patients today. I love you guys. What a joy it is to practise medicine. People are wonderful. Two patients introduced me to their dogs and man, they love their dogs. One patient was sitting in this beautiful sunroom and another was making a pot of pasta sauce and meatballs. He tilted his laptop over the pot so that I could see how delicious it looked. You made me laugh today and that was today's miracle. There is joy out there. We have adapted. Well done. Keep those donations coming! Bracelet of Hope launched their first mobile health unit just days before the World Health Organization declared the COVID 19 pandemic. Our unit was there to begin educating the people of Lesotho about wearing masks and physical distancing. The unit continues to reach out into remote areas of Lesotho bringing primary health care, HIV testing and treatment, maternal and child care and COVID 19 assistance to the country’s marginalized rural population...... and they are doing well. Click here to get us to our goal: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2707157766204565/1892121307596677/ Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anne-Marie Please share For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here: https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/
Check out a great place for mental health support here:
https://familyserviceguelph.on.ca/
For local assistance with anxiety and depression:
www.here4help.ca
CMHA WW Website: www.cmhaww.ca
Here 24/7 at 1-844-HERE-247 or www.here247.ca.
And for post-secondary students, Good2Talk
https://good2talk.ca/
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