Mel Brooks has a message about self-isolation Welcome to the Maclean's daily newsletter. As the coronavirus disrupts life in Canada, and Canadians get used to the notion of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve," Maclean's has expanded this newsletter to include everything you need to know about the global pandemic. You'll still find our best stories of the day at the bottom of the newsletter, but we'll also catch you up on news and notes from around the world. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Be fast. Have no regrets. You must be the first mover. The virus will always get you if you don’t move quickly… If you need to be right before you move, you will never win… The greatest error is to be paralysed by the fear of failure.” —World Health Organization executive director Dr. Michael Ryan, applying the lessons learned from Ebola responses on the current COVID-19 pandemic. Today's midday federal briefing revealed there were more than 440 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada. More than 37,000 individuals have been tested to date. Canadian Blood Services is warning of a critical shortage of blood products because of a drop in donations and because some components have very short shelf lives. Public health officials urge Canadians to donate. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, returned to work from self-isolation, where she had been waiting for the result of her coronavirus test. It was negative for COVID-19. A few days ago, France’s health minister, a doctor, tweeted that taking anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (Advil) may help aggravate COVID-19; he suggested people take acetaminophen (Tylenol). The Canadian Pharmacists Association told Global News there isn’t enough evidence one way or another, but that taking ibuprofen is a point of controversy. Some cruise ship passengers are still unable to disembark. The Costa Luminosa, with 1,400 passengers, was denied permission to dock in the Spanish Canary Islands after previous (disembarked) passengers tested positive for COVID-19. Next stop France, which is itself in lockdown. The so-far successful efforts of crowded Asian locales such as Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong to stop COVID-19 from spreading widely come down to early and frequent testing, diligent contact tracking by health workers and social distancing. Medical supply shortages, especially personal protective equipment for health workers, are increasingly common. As of last Friday, the U.S.’s largest private cancer hospital, Sloan Kettering in New York, had only one week of masks on hand as shipments are backordered. At least eight staff and patients at the hospital have COVID-19. Companies are switching their processes to producing needed medical products. Fashion giant LVMH is using its perfume and cosmetics factories to produce free hand sanitizer in France while a distillery in the Orkney Islands of the U.K. is doing the same for its community, as is Dillon’s in Ontario. Goldman Sachs believes many industrialized countries are headed toward recession this year. In particular, the 2020 second quarter U.S. economic forecasts point to sharp economic contraction. The “caremongering” trend has Canadian roots, the BBC explains. The first social media group was set up in Toronto to help vulnerable people in specific neighbourhoods, including offering to cook or grocery shop for those unable. Comedian Mel Brooks, 93, and his son, Max, gave some funny and logical advice on why younger folk must practice social distancing. #DontBeASpreader —Patricia Treble As of last night, this is the number of confirmed cases in Canada. We're updating this chart every day.
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