And That's A wrap!

 

$27067 raised with more to come

Over $25,000 raised for Bracelet of Hope.

Check us out here to find out where your donations go:

baceletofhope.ca

If human kind has the resources, the technology and the intelligence to control and stop the transmission of a deadly virus like AIDS, in a matter of decades, we can tackle any global problem. But we must do it with our intelligence, our creativity, the utmost in innovation with every person at the table regardless of their race, their gender, their sexuality, their wealth or their poverty.

The main obstacles to ending the COVID 19 pandemic are the things that divide us like extremism, hate, fear, and the widespread dissemination of mis-information.

There is no question that we will bring COVID 19 to an end but we must do it together, following the recommendations of our scientists and health experts. They have already shown what it takes to conquer a pandemic.

So much to be hopeful and grateful for.

Thank you to all of our donors and to the board of directors of Bracelet of Hope who rode together and to Mike and Alex from the Guelph Coalition for Active Transport for mapping our route and showing us the way. More information to come about that amazing group. A shout out to Pat Ireland, a friend of Bracelet of Hope who rode for the beautiful people of Lesotho.

And a big thank you to our event sponsor Fixed Gear.

Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie Zajdlik, MD CCFP O.Ont, MSM

Founding Medical Director of

ARCH Clinic Guelph and Waterloo

Founding Director of Bracelet of Hope

Founder of Hope Health Centre

For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:

https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/

A Stand Against Extremism And Hate

My last post has garnered an unprecedented number of comments from angry people with extremist ideologies.

The virus will not go away if we call if fake, If we down play it's danger or if we ignore the people who have suffered and died. The virus does not care if you join an extremist group that rages and divides and tears apart the scientific community and activists that are dedicating their lives to finding the answer. It does not care if what you say or do stops people from wearing masks and heeding the guidelines. It will just infect both you and them.

It does not care if you are angry, sarcastic or venomous. It's all fear. That is what makes us all the same. We are all afraid. We are afraid of death and suffering. What better way to avoid the death and suffering this pandemic is causing than to deny it exists and attack those that are fighting against it.

One million people are dead. One million. My heart breaks for their families and friends, for the people who relied on them for support whose lives are now destroyed. Today, I pray for them and their grief-torn lives. I pray for you too. Anger and hostility come from a place of brokenness. We are all broken.

I will delete your angry comments, not because I want to push my own agenda. I have no agenda except to assist in the healing of a suffering humanity. I will delete your comments because they instil fear and cause confusion. We do not need fear and confusion to be added to our suffering.

I will respect you and your opinion but I will stand against anything that does harm.

This virus is real. There is no doubt of that. It is much more infectious than the flu and much, much more deadly. It threatens us in several ways: It threatens our health and it threatens to overwhelm a health care system that must stay intact so that every ill person with any form of disease can have access to the healing and recovery that an intact health care system provides.

It could very well be that the greatest threat of this virus is it's ability to divide us and to instil hate and fear, confusion and chaos.

Stay united behind the scientists and the healthcare experts, the epidemiologists and statisticians and the governments that are following their lead.

For those of you who are already doing that, Thank you. There is so much to be hopeful for. We now understand how to slow the transmission of COVID 19. We have treatments that have dramatically reduced the death rate. That reduced rate is because of our intervention. The reduction in mortality does not indicate that the virus is less deadly. We can live close to normal lives if we wear masks and stay physically distanced and a vaccine will come in 2021. From a global and historical perspective, our suffering is light and momentary.

I am so concerned about the forces that have led to extremism and hate. The only way to stand against both is to stand tall, have courage, be of good cheer, love and support one another and trust the institutions that, in this country, have your back.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Anne-Marie

Please share

For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:

https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/

And just to prove the great things to do when we are UNITED behind a common and just cause, our thanksgiving ride has raised $23,000 from this facebook link, the Bracelet of Hope web page and donations in cash and cheques. We are $2,000 shy of our goal. Let's do this!

https://www.facebook.com/donate/2707157766204565/1892121307596677/

Expecting over 900 new reported cases in Ontario today

Most of these new cases are in Toronto, Peel region and Ottawa. In Guelph things are a bit different. Guelph was averaging 5 or 6 new cases a day up until the last few days. Over the last few days, the numbers have declined with the seven day rolling average now below one. New cases in Guelph are not related to outbreaks in schools or long term care settings, they are community acquired; the result of gathering in groups outside our bubbles or close contact in public spaces. Private gatherings are the main source of spread of COVID 19 throughout the province. We are not immune to what is happening in these areas of the province where higher population densities are leading to an alarming number of new daily cases. In some areas, there are more patients that need beds then their are beds available. More sick patients than the hospital beds they needs. But that doesn't matter, right? It's just sick and old that will die, right? Think again. If hospitals, right now, today, are not able to accommodate patients....WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE SEE EVEN A MINOR UPTICK IN COVID 19 INFECTIONS? Our hospitals are already at capacity. The staff at our hospitals have been trying to clear a back log of surgeries. They are working triple over-time to get this done so that folks who have had their hip replacements, their knee replacements and the cancer surgeries postponed by the first wave of COVID 19, can finally get some relief of their suffering. Surgeries increase the number of people who require post-op beds and ICU beds. Our hospitals are not filled to capacity with COVID 19 patients, they are filled with patients who desperately needed care 5 months ago and had to wait. So, this is what will happen if people keep gathering. This is what will happen if you host that family gathering this weekend. What harm could it do anyway? We deserve to enjoy our families and friends right? We have been deprived for so long..... Your gathering will cause the uptick in cases that will put your hospital way beyond it's capacity and that is just the beginning. If your hospital is full, your emergency room is full. If that is full your after hours clinics get full and your family physicians office become overwhelmed. What happens when I am overwhelmed. Here is a possible scenario. I am so overwhelmed that I do not get a chance to return the call of the mother with a child who has a fever until later in the day. The fever gets worse but mom knows that there is an 8 hour wait in the emergency room so she hangs on, waiting for my call. Within a couple of hours, that child's temperature sky-rockets and the child has a seizure. Mom calls 911 and ends up in the emergency room....but it is too late. That fever and seizure were symptoms of a deadly meningitis. That's not an old person or a person with chronic illness, that's a child. I don't mean to be harsh. Well, maybe I do. It might be OK in some people's minds to not be too concerned if their actions cause the death of 'old' people. Is it OK with us for our actions to lead to the needless death of babies and young children? IT IS NOT OK WITH ME. The health and wellbeing of our society and the economic wellbeing of people who need to work will be in jeopardy if we do not follow the public health guidelines this weekend. The ultimate in our selflessness and compassion is required for the next fours days. Please. That's all I can say. Please. Anne-Marie Share widely!!

For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:

https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/

In Honour of Isobel king and....wait for it....$19,000 raised

I was working at the HIV clinic in Waterloo today. There is both a Guelph-based clinic and a Waterloo-based clinic founded by Dr. Chris Steingart and I in 2006. I am pretty proud of that partnership and very proud of the work that he and his wife, Michelle Steingart do for folks that suffer with addictions in our communities. They have saved thousands of lives. On the way back to Guelph this evening, I felt a wave of discouragement. I met my first HIV positive patient in 1987. I have been fighting for this population of patients ever since. At times the battle has been very, very difficult. Sometimes difficult things happen to you and no one is at fault and sometimes they happen because of systemic issues that must be addressed. Injustice is rampant in the world and people affected by HIV have been the victims of horrific inequity, injustice and stigma as have many other marginalized and stigmatized populations. I have to decide if and how I will address a great injustice that has marginalized and stigmatized my patients and me, yet again. We have been separated from the provincial funding we fought so hard for years ago and that separation has made providing the highest standard of care to this beloved population very, very difficult. The physicians who care for this population in the region have carried on and our patients are well but at times, the discouragement is heavy. When I arrived back at the Guelph clinic, there were two gifts waiting for me: one is this lovely quilt made by Isobel King who passed away this past spring. Her family and friends described her as one of the kindest, gracious and giving people they had ever known. Isobel made this quilt for the United Church of Canada's Beads of Hope Campaign. The red ribbon is the signature symbol of the fight against HIV/AIDS and the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS. Isobel's gift reminded me of the fight and why it is worth suffering for. Thank you Isobel. The second gift was a bag of beautiful cotton masks left by an anonymous donor. Our fundraising campaign for Bracelet of Hope has just surpassed $19,000. The Facebook part of that campaign has raised $11,000. The rest has come in by personal donations and cheques also dropped off at the Guelph office ( that famous back door). There is goodness and kindness and love around every corner and in every person that strives to serve others, that shows compassion, selflessness and generosity, that fights for the rights and wellbeing of our most vulnerable people, that reaches out to strengthen a fatigued doctor turned AIDS activist and COVID virus freak. Thank you for lifting me up today. You reminded me why I started this battle and why I will continue to fight. Not much to say about COVID 19 tonight but I would like you to study this graph again: https://www.covid-19canada.com/graphs I will gently whisper that it sure looks like Ontario is flattening a second curve. Please stay strong and stay at it. The re-focus of your efforts is paying off. Staying home, staying isolated, wearing masks and cancelling social gatherings including Thanksgiving is tremendously difficult and very selfless. But that is what good people do. Six thousand to go folks. I have no doubt that we will get there. Donate here if you can: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2707157766204565/1892121307596677/ And then.... we ride. Beyond gratitude. 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/

Good people doing GREAT things

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/

The highest number of new cases in Canada in one day: 2806

 

TODAY,

The highest number of new cases in Canada in one day: 2806 In march we were ambushed. This second wave feels very different, doesn't it? We faced a virus that we knew nothing about. It had barely been identified as a virus when it reached Canada. Borders were closed. People raced home. We were locked in and terrified: Essential workers only, schools closed, grocery shopping a true test of our courage. I was swabbing peoples noses in my parking lot and our COVID Assessment Centre barely had enough swabs to test 25 people a day. We had no understanding of what the virus did to the human body or how and there were no treatments. People were mildly ill, then suddenly severely ill and then gone. Those dark days are over and they will not return. We have come too far, we are better prepared and more educated. Clinics have the ability to test thousands across the province every day. Who is ill differs now too, with mostly a young, resilient population spreading the virus. But hospitalizations are slowly increasing. The virus is beginning to appear in long term care centres. One hundred and twenty four homes now have cases. We were ambushed but now we are on guard. We cannot let our guard down. Our testing system is overwhelmed and the best way to allow it to regain its ability to rapidly test and trace contacts is to not become infected, not spread the virus, not need to be tested. It is becoming a challenge for me everyday to assess people with coughs and colds and try to determine if they need testing. A runny nose on it's own is not likely to be COVID and does not require testing. A complex of symptoms like extreme fatigue, fever, cough and a loss of sense of taste and smell is more likely to be COVID 19. I will divert your attention just briefly. Many charities are in crisis and many have had to close their doors. As you know Bracelet of Hope is near and dear to my heart. We are hanging in but we cannot hold our usual fundraising events this year. Every year at this time, I cycle 50 km to raise funds for Bracelet of Hope. It used to be 100 km but I stopped that silliness when I reached my mid-fifties. 'Mid-fifties', when did that happen? Usually by now I am much more prepared but, over the summer, I spent an hour a night defeating hornworms which then led to a ridiculous tomato crop which then led to a stupid amount of time spent canning. I blame it all on COVID 19. My goal is to raise $30,000. This year, my beloved board is joining in the cycle. We can't hold events but we can ride and so, INSTEAD OF GATHERING with family and friends this coming Thanksgiving Weekend, we are hitting the roads of Guelph to raise funds for the people we love so much in Lesotho. Spokes for Hope: Cycling together- apart for Bracelet of Hope: If you are able, help us to not only stay alive during COVID 19 but to thrive. Help us support our foster kids in Lesotho, our income generating activities and our mobile health unit We love these people. We have devoted our lives to standing in partnership with them. There are more than 17,000 followers of this page. Can you imagine if each follower donated $25? Not doing that math tonight because I am too tired but...... Sponsor here if you can: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2707157766204565/1892121307596677/ Charitable receipts available! Let the ride begin!!!! Anne-Marie Please share

For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:

https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX. Now that's the ticket.

I am not liking these new restrictions but, I am liking the result. Well done Ontario. It is too early to make any assumptions. The province is working on a back log of tests ( 90,000 requiring processing as of Friday). There may be positive tests in that back log making today's total artificially low but we are down to 566 cases today. That's the second day in a row that numbers have been declining, keeping us down under 1,000 cases a day.

That's the right direction. That's the result of our re-commitment to physical distancing, masks and limiting our gathering. If we keep this up we will avoid the projection that takes us to above 1,000 cases a day by next week. I am cheering you on big time. As this rainy, cold day settles in, I know how tough this is. Gathering together inside, in the fall is the signature of this season starting with thanksgiving and it is all off the table. I have been walking around my house all morning wondering what else I can clean and if I will ever get back to my church family on a Sunday morning. Caught me off guard, today's sadness and angst.

But our focus needs to be whatever it takes to keep our economies open, our schools safe and our hospitals below capacity. That is why we are doing this. For the good of our communities. It's a difficult, selfless, coordinated effort that I hope we will never have to do again.

Here is a summary of what is new:

1/ The government has pushed pause on any further reopening of businesses, facilities, and organizations for an additional 28 days.

2/ They have also paused on all social circles. The social circle of ten no longer exists and has not been replaced with a smaller circle. The people of Ontario are being advised to allow close contact only with people living in their own household and to maintain two metres physical distancing from everyone else. Individuals who live alone may consider having close contact with another household. This means that we cannot gather on thanksgiving unless it is with the people in our household.

That ham in my fridge will have to stay there for now!

3/ People at risk, those over 70 years of age and those with underlying, chronic health issues should now act to minimize their risk of acquiring COVID-19 by steering clear of public spaces where the virus may be circulating and keeping away from upcoming annual gatherings such as Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day.

Man, this is hard. Thus the blue mood on a rainy day.

Testing in the province changes today as well. Starting Tuesday, we switch to appointment-based testing at all Ontario COVID assessment centres. This will eliminate long line ups and provide certainty to patients as to when they can receive a test during the cold winter months.

Beginning today, there are no walk-in testing services at our COVID 19 clinics. The province will begin to set up mobile and pop-up testing centres for long-term care, congregate care, and other vulnerable populations. They will be expanding the number of pharmacies where people with no symptoms within provincial testing guidance can get tested.

Watch for updated testing guidance for children to help parents determine when it is most appropriate for students, children and their families to seek a test for COVID-19.

A simple runny nose is not a reason to be tested. I will outline a new list of symptoms requiring testing this week.

Watch for in-home testing that will hopefully be available on the heals of Health Canada approving these test kits. These will make it much easier for families trying to figure out when to send a child back to school and where to get testing in a reasonable time frame.

Moving targets everywhere! It makes this very confusing but let's keep it simple: Stick to your household contacts only. Wear a mask in all public spaces. Keep six feet away from anyone who is not one of your household contacts. Be of good cheer.....because this is already working to get us out of this second surge. Well done Ontario.

Anne-Marie

Please share

For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:

https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/

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/

For equal access to treatment in Lesotho!

https://www.braceletofhope.ca/ways-to-give/