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21st PANDEMIC CENTURY
PANDEMOS
ISSUE
N°08
Published
Published on
on August September
2020, Toronto, 2020, Toronto, CA www.knowscience.org/pandemos-news/
CA www.knowscience.org/pandemos-news/
WHO ARE WE?
As part of the University of Toronto’s
@PANDEMOSNEWS
COVID-19 engagement project, Pandemos
is a team of undergrad students from across
Canada and America in an initiative aimed
at combating untrue information regarding
the COVID-19 pandemic. We have two main PANDEMOS
goals - distribute true information on a reg-
ular basis and answer public questions. Pri-
marily, we provide people with the latest ac-
HTTPS://KNOWSCIENCE.
curate information on the pandemic, spread ORG/PANDEMOS-HOME/
of the virus, control methods, impacts on
life, advances in the academic field and var-
ious news stories through our Social media,
upcoming website, and our newsletter. Our
second goal is to provide a platform from
which we can connect the public to experts.
This is in the form of a Public Q&A portion
of our social media, website and newsletter.
The public sends in questions and we reply
with answers verified by our team of subject
matter experts via our social media/website/
newsletter outlets.
Disclaimer: The views and information presented in this newsletter, the Pandemos website or Pandemos associated social media is
not intended to be medical advice. We aim simply to disperse information as it becomes available in today’s ever-changing situation.
01
CONTENTS
03
Meet The Team
05
Meet The Sponsors
06
Authored Article
09
Academic Research
13
News Update
16
Statistics and Trends
22
Questions and Answers
02
MEET
THE TEAM
Chirag hana
Chopra sharifi
PROJ EC T LE A D E R R E S E A RCH E R
U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 22 U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 2 3
LI FE SCI E N CE S LI FE SCI E N CE S
Chinmayi tanin
Balusu khorrami taj
E D I TO R R E S E A RCH E R
CO LU M B I A U N I V E RS I T Y ‘ 2 3 M CM A S T E R U N I V E RS I T Y ‘ 2 3
MEDICAL HUMANITIES LI FE SCI E N CE S
joshua Paranjay
chong Sahanii
R E S E A RCH E R MARKETING
U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 24 U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 2 3
SOCI A L SCI E N CE S I R , ECO N O M I C S & PU B LI C PO LI C Y
03
Samiha Xin Yi
Tahsin Lim
DESIGNER DESIGNER
U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 2 3 U N I V E RS I T Y O F TO RO N TO ‘ 2 3
A RCH I T EC T U R A L S T U D I E S LI FE SCI E N CE S & S PA N I S H
Yi
Lian
MARKETING
QU E E N ’ S U N I V E RS I T Y ‘ 24
CO M M E RCE
MEET
THE EXPERTS
Dr. Jeremy Dr. Roizar
Kamil Rosales
A SSOCI AT E PRO FE SSO R O F M I CRO - R E S E A RCH FE LLOW
B I O LOG Y A N D I M M U N O LOG Y U N I V E RS I T Y H E A LT H N E T WO R K ,
LOU I S I A N A S TAT E U N I V E RS I T Y TO RO N TO
04
MEET THE
SPONSORS
F U N D I N G
U N I V E RS I T Y
O F TO RO N TO
M A R K E T I N G
PROS PEC T I V E M E D I C A L K N OW
PRO FE SS I O N A L S SCI E N CE
05
AUTHORED
ARTICLE
JOSHUA CHONG
06
HOW WILL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
AFFECT THE GLOBAL RESPONSE TO THE
CLIMATE CRISIS?
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has including COP26 and The World Conser-
led to the largest reduction in vation Congress, have been delayed due
carbon emissions ever recorded. to the pandemic.
As jurisdictions around the world were
placed under lockdown and major Due to the pandemic, many individuals
economies came to a halt, global have also adopted environmentally-det-
emissions levels plummeted. Major cities rimental habits that could continue for
once riddled with hazard smog are now years to come. COVID-19 has dramat-
recording lower levels of air pollution; in ically increased the use of plastic such
some major cities in Canada, pollution as gloves, masks, and cutlery. The use of
levels dropped as much as 40 percent. cars is also expected to increase after the
pandemic due to lingering fears of using
But despite historic declines, experts are public transportation.
warning that the change is only tempo-
rary and that once economies rebound
from the pandemic, so too will pollution
levels. “We are certainly going to see a
bounce-back as we have with previous
economic recessions,” said Monica Gat-
tinger of the University of Ottawa.
In fact, a post-pandemic world may
see accelerated levels of emissions as
governments shift their attention from
climate change mitigation projects to
policies focusing on fast economic revo-
ries. In the US, President Trump signed an
executive order that allows federal agen-
cies to cancel environment reviews for
infrastructure projects. Additionally, mul-
tiple international climate conferences,
07
The emissions rebound predicted by Yet, the changes to individual behaviour
many scientists has already been detect- will not be enough to alter the course of
ed. A report published by the UN reveals the climate crisis, according to several re-
that by June 2020, when lockdown pol- searchers who highlight that government
icies began to lift, emission levels were has a key part to play as well. “Changes
within five percent of the previous year. aren’t permanent without some serious
policy effort and serious investment,” said
The report paints a dire picture of the Robb Barnes, executive director of Ecolo-
climate crisis: in order for the world to gy Ottawa.
hold below the threshold of 1.5 degrees
celsius of warming (since preindustrial
times), there would need to be pandem-
ic-sized carbon cuts every year for the SOURCES:
next decade.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/lo-
cal-news/how-covid-19-could-alter-
Some scientists, however, are hope-
the-course-of-climate-change
ful that countries around the world will
adopt a green recovery plan as they https://blogs.ei.columbia.
recover from the economic ramifications edu/2020/06/25/covid-19-impacts-cli-
of the pandemic. The European Union, mate-change/
for example, pledged 750 billion euros
dedicated to a green economic recovery https://www.bbc.com/news/science-en-
vironment-54074733
which sets a 2050 goal for net carbon
neutrality in the EU. South Korea also
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-en-
introduced a Green New Deal that would
vironment-52485712
see the country become carbon neutral
by 2020.
Experts also point to positive habits that
have been borne out of the pandemic and
could be continued going forward – rou-
tines such as working from home, biking
and walking, and supporting more local
supply chains.
08
ACADEMIC
RESEARCH
TANIN KHORRAMI TAJ
09LINKING STEROID range was within 52 to 68 years. The
TREATMENT TO LOWER following patients were then divided
into two groups, one was given steroids,
MORTALITY RATES IN while the other was given a placebo.
COVID-19 PATIENT After 28 days, the patients’ conditions
Authors: Jonathan A. C. Sterne, were analyzed, and the results indicated
and the WHO Rapid Evidence Ap- that the risk of death for those who took
praisal for COVID-19 Therapies (RE- steroids was 32% and the risk of death
ACT) Working Group for those who took a placebo was 40%.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/ According to Stern and his team, ste-
fullarticle/2770279 roids should be part of a standard treat-
New research by Jonathan Stern ment when it comes to those suffering
and his colleagues at the Universi- from a severe case of COVID-19.
ty of Bristol in the UK, reveals that the
mortality rate of those severely ill with
COVID-19 appears to decrease when COVID-19 LINKED TO
corticosteroid drugs are given. Stern’s CASES OF ENCEPHALITIS
research team conducted seven ran- Authors: Antônio Kleiton de
domized trials and analyzed more than Sousa, Diva de Aguiar Magalhães,
1,700 people across 12 countries on 5 Jayro dos Santos Ferreira, André Luiz
continents. Moreover, the patients’ age dos Reis Barbosa
range was within 52 to 68 years. The
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
follo article/pii/S0306987720314754
A study from Medical Hypothe-
ses on Elsevier suggests that Corona-
virus also has a neuroinvasive capacity
and therefore can cause infections in
the central nervous system (CNS). Fur-
thermore, triggering symptoms such as
headaches, nausea, mental confusion,
and the loss of smell or taste. Based
on past patients who were affected by
SARS-CoV, this study implies that there
is a possibility that the spread of SARS-
CoV-2 in the brain tissue occurs through
the circulatory system. This connection
between the SARS-CoV genome and
10SARS-CoV-2 was detected because derstanding of this observation, clinical
both genomes interacted with angioten- and laboratory data of 42 patients with
sin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2), a an average age being over 65 years, were
protein that is located in the brain tissue analyzed. Their results then showed that
of infected patients. 81% of these patients had vitamin D de-
ficiency. It was also concluded that after
That being said, this study sug- 10 days of hospitalization, those with
gests that SARS-CoV-2 can cause in- severe vitamin D deficiency had a 50%
flammation pertaining to the brain mortality risk meanwhile, those with
(Encephalitis) by having the ability to sufficient vitamin D had a 5% mortality
increase the stimuli at the angiotensin risk.
2 receptor (AT2R), which then increas-
es the activation of the immune system With that in mind, the observa-
cells. Furthermore, leading to brain in- tions from this study suggest that pro-
juries and severe inflammation through viding vitamin D supplementations as
vascular damage and finally, destruc- a supportive treatment for patients of
tion to the blood-brain barrier. COVID-19 could be beneficial. Further-
more, the study mentions that vitamin
D supplementations may not protect
CORRELATION BE-
against COVID-19 infections, however,
TWEEN VITAMIN D DE- may reduce the severity of the disease
FICIENCY AND PATIENTS itself and therefore, reducing the risk of
OF COVID-19 mortality.
Authors: G. E. Carpagnano, V.
Di Lecce, V. N. Quaranta, A. Zito, E.
Buonamico, E. Capozza, A. Palumbo,
G. Di Gioia, V. N. Valerio & O. Resta
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/
s40618-020-01370-x?ref=theprepping-com
A study was completed by re-
searchers of Journal of Endocrinological
Investigation observing COVID-19 pa-
tients with severe cases of respiratory
failure, to analyze their vitamin D levels
in order to determine if there is a cor-
relation with the severity of the case and
the treatment process. To obtain an un-
11RELATIONSHIP BE- at a greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infec-
TWEEN ABO BLOOD tion, while patients with blood type O,
were at a lower risk. Furthermore, in
GROUP DISTRIBUTION terms of symptom distribution, fever
AND CLINICAL CHARAC- and cough were more common in pa-
TERISTICS IN PATIENTS tients with type A, and less common in
WITH COVID-19 patients with type O.
Authors: Yuqin Wu, Zhicai Feng,
Peng Li, Qizhi Yu
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/pii/S0009898120302904?casa_to-
ken=OGWUKGDnwWsAAAAA:gk4Th70CREgG-
pGMIi_u9-ShAHQYHQpSrypKzqmwvPwwoY_
CEZkaFPAveIUpATv_Iuj6qbzx0YQ
The ABO blood group mainly con-
sists of the A and B antigens and their
corresponding antibodies. Therefore,
establishing 4 different genetic pheno-
types ( A, B, O, and AB). It is the dif-
ference in antigen expression in these
blood types that can either increase or
decrease one’s vulnerability to various
infections.
A new study from Clinica Chimi-
ca Acta analyzed the general and clini-
cal characteristics of 187 COVID-19 pa-
tients at The First Hospital of Changsha,
by dividing the patients into 4 groups
based on their ABO blood type. After-
wards, the researchers compared the
obtained data to a control group, which
consisted of non-COVID-19 patients
who were hospitalized during the period
of this study.
Finally, the ramifications conclud-
ed that patients with blood type A were
12NEWS UPDATE
CHIRAG CHOPRA
13NBA PLAYER DANUEL that House’s actions compromised the
integrity of the bubble, the playoffs and
HOUSE REMOVED the health and safety of all NBA mem-
FROM PLAYOFFS FOR bers, so he would be disqualified from
VIOLATING COVID-19 further games. This comes at a time
when the Houston Rockets trail 3 to 1 in
PROTOCOL a best of seven series which makes the
Houston Rockets forward Danuel upcoming game that House will not par-
House was removed from the playoffs ticipate in a “make it or break it” moment
earlier this week for bringing an unau- for the team.
thorised guest into the NDA’s Disney
World campus. To prevent an outbreak
of COVID-19 within NBA teams, the As-
BIODEGRADABLE PPE -
sociation has confined their players and THE ENVIRONMENTAL-
staff to a so-called ‘bubble’ in Orlando,
LY CONSCIOUS CHOICE
Florida. To create this safety ‘bubble’,
With the prevalence of single
the NBA ensured that everyone enter-
use masks, gloves and other protective
ing the campus had been tested neg-
equipment surging, environmentalists
ative for the virus repeatedly and once
are concerned about how this new type
a person has entered the ‘bubble’ they
of waste will impact the environment. Al-
may not leave or allow others from the
ready, in cities around the world, masks
outside to enter. The Association claims
and gloves can be seen littering the
roadsides. Authorities are also report-
ing large numbers of masks and gloves
polluting the oceans. To tackle this issue,
researchers and companies around the
world have now developed and begun
to commercialize biodegradable masks.
Researchers at the University of British
Columbia have developed the world’s
first biodegradable N95 class mask.
Touted as the ‘Can-Mask’, it is made
from inexpensive wood fibres and en-
tirely compostable. Other masks made
from compostable coffee filters and even
bacteria-grown masks are in the works
14and will likely be made available to con-
sumers in the near future. It is important
to note that none of these products have
been certified by health authorities as
of yet, but once further testing is com-
plete and certifications registered, these
products are likely to usher the new age
of public use, socially conscious PPE.
COVID-19 PUTS ECO-
NOMIC STRESS ON
NORTH KOREA. NORTH
KOREA REACTS
Due to the pandemic, North Korea
has had to shut down its border with Chi-
na, a country that accounts for the vast
majority of North Korea’s trade and aid.
Needless to say, it is very difficult to as-
certain the exact effects of the pandem-
ic on this reclusive nation, we rely on the
few sources of news that report on ex-
ternal intelligence. The border shutdown
has decreased the amount of essentials
coming into the country which, accord-
ing to the US, has fuelled an increasing
demand for smuggled goods. To limit
illegal crossings across the Chinese
border that may bring COVID-19 to
North Korea, the US claims that the
North has instituted shoot to kill orders
along their border with China.
15STATISTICS
& TRENDS
BY HANA SHARIFI
16CHILDREN ARE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL:
WHAT THAT MEANS IN REGARDS TO
FLATTENING THE CURVE
I
t’s early September – the time of As of reports made on August 27, 2020,
year that signals back-to-school there were a total of 476,439 total child
season. COVID-19 cases reported, and children
represented approximately 9.5% of all
America is one step ahead of Canada in cases.
opening schools and the trends in cases
are sending a clear message: the virus Though hospitalization and death may be
is spreading, outbreaks are cropping up, rarer in children, the reopening of schools
and cases are going up. has dramatically increased the number of
cases. From August 13, 2020, and August
In the United States, state-level reports 27, 2020, the change in child COVID-19
are the best publicly available data on cases was 70,330, a 17% increase in just
child COVID-19 cases. The American two weeks.
Academy of Pediatrics and the Chil-
dren’s Hospital Association have collab- This upward trend in the number of cas-
orated to collect and share data from es as schools reopen is far from a new
states on child COVID-19 cases, and phenomenon. In fact, an analysis from
on August 27, the health department May 2020, when more than 20 countries
websites of 49 states provided data on began reopening schools, already re-
reported COVID-19 cases, distributed vealed significant increases. The trends
by age. Although children represent just of these schools which opened earlier in
9.5% of all cases in these states, over the pandemic can be examined to predict
476,000 children have tested positive what may happen to schools that are
for the virus since the beginning of the now beginning to open in the fall.
pandemic. However, COVID-19-asso-
ciated hospitalization and death are On average, countries reopened schools
uncommon in children. It appears that 25 to 30 days after the peak of new
severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare cases. Of the twenty countries that have
among children. reopened, only three – Madagascar, the
Czech Republic, and Vietnam – appear to
show an upward trend of new daily cases
17when schools reopened. Korea, which has one of the finest test
and trace systems in the world, closed
Optimistically, countries that have al- around 250 schools near the capital on
ready opened their schools have contin- May 28 just after they opened, since an
ued their downward trend in new cases. increase of 79 cases was reported.
However, there are, of course, exceptions.
Governments will need to use regional
and sub-regional case data to make de-
cisions regarding school closures if spikes
in new cases occur. For example, in South
These trends can be seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Daily new cases in countries that have reopened schools
Note: Time is measured in days since schools reopened. Lines show a 7-day moving
average of daily cases beginning 9 days prior to when schools closed
Source: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/back-school-tracking-covid-cases-schools-reopen
18In figure 2, it is clear that very few countries actually saw any change after schools
reopened.
Figure 2: Daily new cases in countries that have reopened schools (by country)
Source: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/back-school-tracking-covid-cases-schools-reopen
The next batch of countries to reopen schools showed yet different trends, as seen in
Figure 3.
19Figure 3: Daily new cases in countries soon to reopen schools
Source: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/back-school-tracking-covid-cases-schools-reopen
School closures are not the only thing that has an effect on COVID-19 cases, however.
School closures and reopenings happen in tandem with other policy changes, as seen in
figure 4.
Figure 4
Note: This sample only includes the 20 countries shown in Figures 1-3 which have al-
ready opened schools.
Source: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/back-school-tracking-covid-cases-schools-reopen
H
owever, American schools that by the American Academy of Pediatrics
have begun to open show a and the Children’s Hospital Association.
wildly different trend. Over the Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippis’s health
last four weeks, as schools in Georgia, director, reported that at least 22 schools
Mississippi, Tennessee, and Indiana are in the state saw an increase in cases
beginning to open their doors, there since classes began.
has been a 90% increase in the number
of COVID-19 cases among students in
the U.S., according to a recent analysis
20These upward trends have pushed other
schools to delay their opening. At least https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/
27 of the largest 101 school districts in coronavirus/what-s-happened-
the U.S. have delayed their first week of in-american-schools-since-
classes. reopening-1.5065769
Canada is seeing similar upward trends. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/
Quebec has seen 46 schools (including toronto/covid-ontario-education-
preschool, elementary, secondary, and minister-stephen-lecce-1.5713905
adult career centres) with at least one
case since reopening, which is worrying
parents in Ontario.
However, Ontario has mandated masking
in classrooms while Quebec has not, and
additionally, more than 600 public health
nurses will be stationed in schools this
fall.
As of September 5, Ontario reported 169
new cases of COVID-19. The total num-
ber of cases in Ontario now stands at
43,003, which includes 2,811 deaths and
38,847 cases marked as resolved.
SOURCES:
https://services.aap.org/en/pag-
es/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-in-
fections/children-and-covid-19-state-
level-data-report/
https://www.cgdev.org/blog/back-
school-tracking-covid-cases-schools-
reopen
21QUESTION & ANSWER 22
As schools across North America open, COVID-19 and kids shows us that:
questions about safety are on everyone’s • Kids seem to be less likely to be
mind. Hence, the Questions and Answers infected than adults
section of this issue of the 21st Century • Kids seem to be less likely to
Pandemic are specific to the theme of suffer severe symptoms
reopening schools. • Kids seem to be less likely to
transmit the virus
Q1 Especially in a pandemic, there
My child goes to a small school is no such thing as ‘no’ risk. Hence, all
in a small town. What really we can do is try to reduce any risk that
is the risk of my child getting is present. The risk can be mitigated by
COVID-19? healthy policies implemented by schools
and authorities. Enforcing masks,
Evidently, the exact risk depends promoting social distancing, structuring
on a multitude of factors - being a small free time, making symptom tracking
town or far from outbreak centres is a policies, introducing safety infrastructure
great advantage, but we must still be like plastic barriers, etc. are all ways that
vigilant as it only takes one infected schools can prevent and limit outbreaks.
person to start an outbreak. Before we Additionally, the effectiveness of these
discuss risk factors further, we should policies rely on individual belief in
acknowledge that recent research on the policies and adherence to them.
Encourage anyone in school communities
to stick to public health policies and
even if it isn’t mandated, everyone is
encouraged to wear masks as much as
possible, socially distance, constantly
wash/sanitize hands and do not touch
your face/mouth. A mass cooperative
effort by everyone to abide by public
health recommendations is our best bet
to reduce risk.
Q2
What can schools do to
prevent transmission?
23• Install no-contact infrastructure
Let’s be clear, there are immense • Keep surfaces clean
issues in bringing back large amounts • Focus on bathroom hygiene
of students and staff indoors during
a pandemic. There is no perfect plan, HEALTHY POLICIES
just less bad options. Moreover, there Building a culture of health, safety, and
is no one strategy that can apply to all shared responsibility.
schools, since schools are limited by • Establish and reinforce a culture
budget, resources, access to space and of health, safety, and shared
staff. After some online research, we responsibility
found a concise and effective overview • Form a COVID-19 response team
of what schools can and are doing made and plan
by Schools For Health. • Prioritize staying home when sick
• Promote viral testing and antibody
HEALTHY CLASSROOMS testing
Following safe practices in classrooms. • Establish plans for when there is a
• Wear masks case
• Wash hands frequently • Support remote learning options
• Maximize physical distancing to • De-densify school buildings
protect individuals • Protect high-risk students and staff
• Maximize group distancing to slow • Increase outdoor air ventilation
transmission chains
• Disinfect objects between users HEALTHY SCHEDULES
Moving between rooms and
HEALTHY BUILDINGS locations safely.
Breathing clean air in the school
building. • Manage transition times and
• Increase outdoor air ventilation locations
• Filter indoor air • Make lunchtime safer
• Supplement with portable air • Rethink transportation
cleaners • Modify attendance
• Verify ventilation and filtration
performance HEALTHY ACTIVITIES
• Consider advanced air quality Enjoying modified activities.
techniques
• Use plexiglass as physical barrier • Provide recess
• Modify physical education
24• Reimagine music and theater classes droplets and short-range aerosols
• Continue sports with enhanced produced when an infected person
controls coughs, sneezes, or talks in close
• Add structure to free time proximity to other people. At
this time, long-range airborne
Q3 transmission does not appear
to be a primary way COVID-19
How can Teachers and Staff
spreads. There is not yet clear
limit their risk of getting the evidence that ventilation systems
disease? spread the virus from space to
space causing exposures. Studies
The CDC recommends preventative indicate that people who are
actions under 3 main categories of risk not showing symptoms (i.e.,
mitigation: asymptomatic) can still spread the
virus. COVID-19 exposure may also
1. Distance between staff and occur from touching one’s mouth,
others: In addition to their primary nose, or possibly eyes after contact
job functions and interaction with with contaminated surfaces or
students, school staff may also be objects, such as office equipment,
near (within 6 feet ) one another workstations, or break room tables.
at times, such as when arriving at
school and during breaks. Shared
spaces and shared transportation
to and from the school may increase
their risk. These can be mitigated or
minimized with good practices.
2. Duration of contact: Extended
contact (15 minutes or greater) with
potentially infectious individuals
increases the risk of COVID-19
spread. Reducing contact to brief
interactions can reduce risk.
3. Type of contact: Current evidence
indicates that COVID-19 spreads
primarily through respiratory
25HAVE A
QUESTION?
EMAIL US AT
teampandemos@gmail.com
2621 S T CE N T U RY PA N D E M I C W W W. K N OWSCI E N CE .O RG / PA N D E M OS - N E WS / I SSU E 07
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