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21st PANDEMIC CENTURY
PANDEMOS
ISSUE
N°09
Published
Published on August
on 2020, Toronto, 2020,
September CA www.knowscience.org/pandemos-news/
Toronto, 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
02
MEET
THE TEAM
Chirag hana
Chopra sharifi
PROJ EC T L E 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
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
MA 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
hana sharifi
06
DO MASKS IMPEDE CHILDREN’S
DEVELOPMENT?
A
nyone who has had to wear a protocol have been getting questions
mask for any purpose--wheth- from concerned parents about whether
er it be a student going back masks – on children or their caregivers
to school, a worker required to wear – may interfere with various aspects of
one in the workplace, or even a grocery a child’s development, including speech,
shopper running errands--knows that language, and social interaction.
it’s far from being easy. Thoughts be-
come clouded, senses become impeded, Dr. Kang Lee, a professor of applied
breathing is more difficult, and you keep psychology and human development at
jabbing the straw into your mask when the University of Toronto, who studies the
you go to take a drink. All you want to development of facial recognition skills in
do is rip the mask of your face and take children, validated the fears of parents by
a deep breath of fresh air. acknowledging the problems that masks
may pose for children interacting with
Though wearing masks can be very classmates or teachers. In his research,
uncomfortable, the evidence doesn’t lie he has discovered that children under the
– face coverings are a proven, effective age of 12 may have difficulty recognizing
way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. people wearing masks since they often
Beyond preventing the transmittance of focus on individual features. Additionally,
respiratory droplets from person to per- they may struggle with emotional recog-
son, another benefit of wearing masks nition, since a lot of emotional informa-
is that they may prevent people from tion is displayed through the movement
touching their mouths and faces with of facial musculature, and they may also
contaminated hands, another common have problems with speech recognition
way through which COVID-19 can be because a lot of information (i.e. lip-read-
spread. ing) is communicated visually.
Despite these facts, a new concern re- David Lewkowicz, a senior scientist at
garding masks has emerged from par- the Haskins Laboratories and the Yale
ents and families as their children begin Child Study Center, has studied lip-read-
to return to school and childcare. Pedi- ing in babies in his research. He has
atrician colleagues who are helping to discovered that around the ages of 6 to
develop guidelines on proper masking 8 months, babies begin concentrating on
07
speakers’ mouths, rather than eyes, to SOURCES:
gather visual cues in addition to auditory.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/
“Masks are not a great thing for commu- well/family/Masks-child-development.
nication in young kinds,” Dr. Lewkowicz html
acknowledges. However, he is hopeful
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/
that children will still be able to thrive by
health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pag-
utilizing more creative methods of com-
es/Mask-Mythbusters.aspx
munication, such as through hand ges-
tures and body language. In fact, finding https://www.aappublications.org/
new ways to communicate may offer a news/2020/08/13/covid19facecover-
unique opportunity for children to learn ings081320
and adapt. Techniques that children with
autism already use may prove to be par- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/abs/pii/S0022096501926396
ticularly useful, including paying atten-
tion to the tone of voice, gestures, overall
body language, reading people’s eyes
and eyebrows, and recognizing repeti-
tive hairstyles and clothing choices of the
people they interact with.
Eva Chen, a developmental psycholo-
gist who is an associate professor at the
Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology, also points out that there
is no evidence suggesting that children
of countries in Asia, who routinely wear
masks in times of illness or air pollution,
grow up any worse at recognizing faces
or emotions.
“Kids are very, very adaptive, more adap-
tive than we are – they should learn very
quickly,” Dr. Lee said. “I don’t think par-
ents should be too worried.”
08
ACADEMIC
RESEARCH
CHINMAYI BALUSU
09the disease” in order to “identify possible
FROM SARS TO preventive and therapeutic strategies”
COVID-19: WHAT WE for young patient populations.
HAVE LEARNED ABOUT
CHILDREN INFECTED COVID-19, Virology
and Geroscience: A
WITH COVID-19
Authors: Meng-Yao Zhou, Xiao- Perspective - Aging
Li Xie, Yong-Gang Peng, et al and COVID-19
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
Authors: Camille Vellas, P.
articles/PMC7204709/ Delobel, P. De Souto Barreto, et al
Younger children have been https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
found to be equally susceptible to articles/PMC7301052/
COVID-19 as many older adults. Recent Older adults have been reported
COVID-19 literature focusing on the to be much more susceptible to
impact of COVID-19 on children has COVID-19 since the beginning of the
detailed how newborns with COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, the authors
positive mothers as well as children who address the importance of geroscience
experience gastrointestinal symptoms (“an interdisciplinary field that seeks
at the start of the illness may be likely to to understand the links of biological
have severe complications. It’s difficult mechanisms of aging with biological
to draw concrete conclusions and mechanisms of disease and body
recommendations, however, since there functions [...] to ultimately find potential
is currently limited pediatric patient data interventions and promote health in older
related to COVID-19. The authors draw adults”) as an approach understanding,
on SARS findings that illustrate details addressing, and preventing COVID-19’s
about the transmission of the virus in damaging effects to elderly citizens. It
children as well as risk factors linked is important to address that COVID-19
with neutrophils and various cells in does not affect all older adults in the
children’s bodies. However, not all of the same way, and the aging population
predicted parallels between SARS and is “heterogeneous.” The outcomes
COVID-19 prove relevant. For example, of COVID-19 are also dependent on
SARS-CoV-2 has higher transmission, comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes,
possibly because pulmonary guidelines cardiovascular, and hypertension, which
are differing and asymptomatic children can differ from elder to elder. The condition
are more commonly overlooked. This of “frailty” also needs to be taken into
article illustrates the need for “[defining] account, and this may originate from
the clinical characteristics and severity of immunosenescence and inflammaging
10during aging processes. This can then exact potential link between neurological
potentially cause chronic inflammation and respiratory effects are, especially
as well as other predisposing conditions considering that the researchers have
that can affect how SARS-CoV-2 can only conducted studies analyzing SARS-
lead to serious COVID-19 complications. CoV and not SARS-CoV-2 to date in this
vein--while the predicted parallels may
THE NEUROINVASIVE definitely carry weight, it is not clearly
POTENTIAL OF SARS- defined if this is actually how SARS-
COV2 MAY PLAY A ROLE CoV-2 interacts with the nervous system.
IN THE RESPIRATORY
FAILURE OF COVID-19
PATIENTS
Authors: Yan-Chao Li, Wan-Zhu
Bai, and Tsutomu Hashikawa
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti-
cles/PMC7228394/
Scientists from Norman Bethune
College of Medicine, China Academy
of Chinese Medical Science, and the THINGS MUST NOT
RIKEN Brain Science Institute report FALL APART: THE
that understanding the “neuroinvasion”
RIPPLE EFFECTS
SARS-CoV-2 initiates may potentially
have “guiding significance” in
OF THE COVID-19
understanding the respiratory failure PANDEMIC ON
that the virus causes. The scientists took CHILDREN IN SUB-
into account similarities between SARS-
SAHARAN AFRICA
CoV and SARS-CoV-2 and found it likely
Authors: Modupe Coker,
that the current virus may potentially
Morenike Folayan, Ian Michelow, et al
enter the central nervous system (which https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-
020-01174-y
includes the brain and spinal cord)
Historically, children in sub-
through peripheral nerve terminals and
Saharan Africa have been greatly at
then affect a synapse-connected route);
risk for facing the “disproportionate
other earlier studies also suggested the
burden of communicable and non-
possible entry point through olfactory
communicable diseases globally.” The
nerves and passing through the
COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t change
thalamus and brainstem in the brain.
that: there is very little study on how
However, it remains unclear what the
11the current pandemic has affected sub-
Saharan African children under the
age of 19 years old. In this narrative
review, researchers address the gaps
in pediatric disease research and
lack of SARS-CoV-2 co-infections/co-
morbidities in children in sub-Saharan
Africa. The authors providing extensive
statistics on undernutrition, malaria,
vaccine-preventable diseases (such
as diarrhea and pneumonia), HIV,
tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease;
additionally, the impact of domestic,
family, and sexual violence and loss
of social preventions on children is
detailed (for instance, “Kenya reported
a 34% rise in domestic violence, while
in South Africa, there was a 37% spike
in gender-based violence complaints in
the first week of a total lockdown”). In
conclusion, they address that while the
COVID-19 has greatly exacerbated poor
conditions for children in sub-Saharan
Africa, this is also the time for change to
be accelerated through “targeted [and]
comprehensive/cross-cutting action.”
12NEWS UPDATE
JOSHUA CHONG
13CANADIAN GOVERN- more Canadians who are suffering” and
has no plan to address the mounting
MENT CHARTS PATH deficit. The Bloc Quebecois said they will
FORWARD IN THRONE not support the speech unless the gov-
SPEECH ernment agrees to at least $28 billion
in health transfer to provinces. Jagmeet
A month after hitting the reset
Singh, the leader of the NDP, did not in-
button by proroguing parliament, Prime
dicate if his party will support or reject
Minister Justin Trudeau’s government
the speech, but highlight that he wants
outlined their priorities for the next ses-
to see greater support for worker in the
sion of parliament in a throne speech
form of paid sick leave and an extension
delivered by Governor General Julie Pay-
of the Canada Emergency Response
ette on September 23. The plan focused
Benefit.
heavily on the COVID-19 pandemic and
outlines the establishment of a Test-
ing Assistance Response Team that TORONTO DISTRICT
will identify surges for testing demand
across the country. The speech also dou-
SCHOOL BOARD FACING
bled down on the government’s pledge STAFFING CHALLENGES
to implement universal pharmacare. In
AS CLASSES RESUME
response to the impact of the pandem-
The Toronto District School Board
ic in long-term care homes, Trudeau’s
(TDSB), the largest school district in
Liberals promised to create nationwide
Canada, is facing multiple hurdles as it
standards for long-term care. In addi-
tries to adapt to the pandemic learning
tion, the Canada Emergency Wage Sub-
environment. Nearly two weeks after
sidy will be extended until next summer.
classes resumed, the board hired an
Despite calls from premiers, the gov-
additional 350 teachers as it tries to
ernment did not indicate in the throne
mitigate staff shortages. According to
speech that it will increase health trans-
TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird, demand
fers to the provinces. Following debate,
for the school board’s online learning
the throne speech will be voted on in
option increased from 56 000 to 78 000
parliament. The minority Liberals need
in a matter of weeks. He indicated that
the support of either the Conservative,
in all, the TDSB needs approximately
Bloc Quebecois, or NDP in order to avoid
500 additional teachers. When students
the toppling of government and a fall
opting for online learning logged in for the
election. The Conservatives rejected the
first time in mid-September, thousands
speech and indicated that they will vote
were not assigned a teacher and are
against it, saying that it “leaves behind
expected to learn independently until one
14is assigned. In late September, the school been met with mixed responses from
board allowed students and parents to politicians and those in the healthcare
opt for either in person or online learning. sector. Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top
Currently, 60 000 elementary students infectious disease specialist, said, “The
and 18 000 secondary students signed idea of 200,000 deaths is really very
up for the online program. The TDSB sobering, in some respects stunning.”
was also been notified of issues with President Donald Trump, however, said
Brightspace, the online platform used at a rally on September 21 that the
for virtual programming, after several pandemic “affects virtually nobody”.
students were unable to log in. The board
said it has deployed additional technical
resources to mitigate the problem. SOURCES:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/pol-
itics/article-pandemic-throne-speech-tru-
deau-explainer/
U.S. COVID-19 DEATH
https://www.cp24.com/tdsb-hires-350-
TOLL OFFICALLY teachers-as-it-scrambles-to-fill-class-
SURPASSES 200 000, rooms-for-virtual-school-1.5115065
JUST EIGHT MONTHS
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/
AFTER THE START OF us-200k-coronavirus-sum-
THE PANDEMIC mary-1.5733956
Merely eight months since the
start of the pandemic, the U.S. officially
surpassed 200 000 deaths due to
COVID-19 on September 22. The grim
milestone, announced by Johns Hopkins,
is the highest in the world, though the
real death toll in the country is predicted
to be much higher. On average, 770
individuals die from the virus each day in
the U.S. According to projections by the
University of Washington, the death toll
could double to 400 000 before the end of
the year, due to reopening policies across
the country. The staggering number has
15STATISTICS
& TRENDS
TANIN KHORRAMI
TAJ
16ARE CANADIANS FACING A SECOND
WAVE?
A
s we approach mid-September, In the United States, state-level reports
it has been reported by Public are the best publicly available data on
Health officials that there has child COVID-19 cases. The American
been a rapid increase in new COVID-19 Academy of Pediatrics and the Chil-
cases in provinces across Canada. In dren’s Hospital Association have collab-
recent weeks alone, Ontario reported orated to collect and share data from
its highest single-day increase in new states on child COVID-19 cases, and
confirmed cases of COVID-19 since early on August 27, the health department
June, with 401 confirmed cases as more websites of 49 states provided data on
than 35,800 tests were completed. The reported COVID-19 cases, distributed
Ontario Health Minister, Christine Elliott, by age. Although children represent just
declared that 67% of recent cases have 9.5% of all cases in these states, over
been found in people under the age of 476,000 children have tested positive
40. Moreover, with an increased number for the virus since the beginning of the
of cases in those who are 20 to 39 years pandemic. However, COVID-19-asso-
of age, even though this group makes up ciated hospitalization and death are
only 14% of the province’s population. uncommon in children. It appears that
severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare
With that in mind, as daily case counts among children.
increase at an alarming rate, does this
mean that a second wave of the pan- Additionally, provinces have now start-
demic will soon be declared? ed to take regional base measures in an
Canada’s top Public Health official, Dr. attempt to slow down the spread of the
Theresa Tam, said that it is indeed too virus.
early to declare a second wave, howev-
er, with cases on a rise, it increases the Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel region cut
likelihood of losing the ability to keep down the limit of 25 people for indoor
COVID-19 cases at manageable levels. gatherings to 10 and dropped outdoor
She also mentions that as Canadians, gatherings from 100 to 25.
now is the time to redouble our effort
with personal precautions that will slow Quebec has also announced that police
down the spread of COVID-19. officers will be visiting over 1,000 bars,
restaurants and other establishments
17with alcohol permits to ensure that elbow or sleeve, not your hands.
rules are being respected.
• Wear cloth face-covering in a public
The figures below demonstrate the rise setting to cover your mouth and
in confirmed cases in Canada, as of nose, to protect yourself and those
September 18th, 2020. around you.
Furthermore regarding current • Wear reusable or disposable gloves
trends, here are some precautions to for routine cleaning and disinfection.
keep in mind:
• Clean surfaces using soap and
• Wash your hands regularly with water, to reduce the number of
soap and water for at least 20 germs, dirt and impurities on the
seconds. However, If soap and water surface. Then use disinfectant, to kill
are not in sight, use a hand sanitizer off any germs on the surface.
with at least 60% alcohol.
• In case someone in the household is
• When coughing or sneezing, cover sick, if it is possible, keep a separate
your nose and mouth with a tissue to bedroom and bathroom for the
throw away after use. If a tissue isn’t person who is sick.
available, cough or sneeze into your
18Figure 1: The following map indicates the total cases of COVID-19 in Canada, as
of September 18th, 2020.
Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-corona-
virus-infection.html#a1
19Figure 2: As of September 18th, 2020, this data indicates the cumulative total of
COVID-19 cases across Canada, and how the graph seems to be on a rise.
Source: https://www.macleans.ca/society/health/coronavirus-in-canada-these-charts-
show-how-our-fight-to-flatten-the-curve-is-going/
20SOURCES:
https://globalnews.ca/news/7343465/
ontario-coronavirus-cases-septem-
ber-18-covid19/
https://globalnews.ca/news/7344377/
coronavirus-canada-second-wave-2/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/
toronto/covid-19-ontario-cases-da-
ta-1.5726687
https://globalnews.ca/news/7343422/
quebec-coronavirus-measures-guil-
bault/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavi-
rus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/dis-
infecting-your-home.html
21HAVE A
QUESTION?
EMAIL US AT
teampandemos@gmail.com
2221 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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