CCBI Resources for Covid-19 – June 15, 2021

VACCINE JUSTICE

Some very welcome news for many countries: the G7 leaders, including Canada, have decided to share one billion (one hundred million) vaccines with nations in need! That is a good contribution towards the global necessity of vaccinating as many people as possible both to save lives and to eradicate COVID-19 and its various mutants. Pope Francis has called on developed countries to do so on several occasions, while the British organization CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) called on the G7 at the latter’s recent high-level meetings in England, saying vaccine justice demands not only that financial help and debt relief is needed to boost vaccine production and shore up public health systems, but that “….rich countries should heed Pope Francis’s call for current doses to be shared and for a waiver on vaccine patents.” We have indicated before now Canada’s seeming slowness in responding to donating vaccine doses, but this is a major step forward, though we should be sure to ascertain if it the promise is fulfilled.

Another high note in terms of ethical and social responsibility (love of neighbour) appeared in this announcement: “The Toronto-based Mastercard Foundation says it will spend US$1.3-billion to revive the faltering vaccine effort in Africa, saying there is a “moral imperative” to respond to the mounting inequities that have left poorer countries slipping far behind the rich….it is making the donation to acquire COVID-19 vaccines for 50 million Africans and to take other steps to tackle the growing vaccine crisis in Africa. Less than 2 per cent of Africans have received any vaccine so far.” The last sentence gives us pause for thought….

DELTA VARIANT

Many provinces are moving into first-phase reopening, and it was certainly a joy to be at live Mass again over the weekend! Going forward, much depends on our achieving maximum vaccinations, together with the continuation of preventative behaviour. Why? The possibility of an increase in cases caused by the Delta variant is growing and this variant appears to be about 40% more transmissible than earlier variants. An MIT article added: “The good news is that vaccination provides strong protection against Delta. A new study from Public Health England shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 88% effective in preventing symptomatic disease due to Delta in fully vaccinated people. The AstraZeneca vaccine provided slightly less protection. Two shots were 60% effective against the variant. The effectiveness of one dose of either vaccine, however, was much lower—just 33%.” That is good news, but it is qualified. Another article tells us: “But in Britain, where the fast-spreading Delta variant now accounts for more than 90 per cent of new infections, vaccinating older adults hasn’t had as much impact on the young and unvaccinated. The latest British figures show cases of Delta, the variant first identified in India, heavily concentrated among those 10 to 29, the age group least likely to be vaccinated, other than very young children. Despite 78 per cent of Britons having received at least one dose and 55 per cent having received two, Britain reported 8,125 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, its highest one-day tally since late February.” Not good. The Globe writes: “Latest figures show Canada as having as of June 13, 31,420,754 doses have been distributed, 29,008,156 doses have been administered and at least 4,593,695 people have been fully vaccinated. That’s about 12.1% of Canada’s population.” While vaccination rates are improving, protection against Delta even for those waiting for their second dose is not that high—according to Public Health England (above) 33%. Helpful, but not leaving room for ‘open season’ in any activities.

I read this article from CNN News just as were about to mail the Bulletin—it fits with the above. Boris Johnson will not be popular with the population in England, but it seems to me (Cassandra in last week’s Bulletin) that when numbers start to go up so rapidly after declining considerably, then stricter measures should continue to prevail, and not just in the UK. In Canada, Dr Tam and others are cautious about Delta: they indicate they would be happy to be wrong but clearly think taking risks and opening up too soon in Delta’s presence seems foolhardy (I would say ‘unethical’). We are being warned about the ‘unknown quantities’ of Delta and should be wary. I, too, would be very happy to be wrong in this scenario, and will make amends in some way afterwards if proven wrong—which I fervently hope will be the case!

MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS

At a recent meeting, it was heartening to hear a psychiatrist talk about the help she and her department were able to give to healthcare staff who in many cases are completely ‘burnt out.’ The longer the pandemic goes on, there is a tendency to forget about our faithful workers, not appreciating the stress they are experiencing. At livestream daily Mass over the months of the pandemic, healthcare workers are prayed for just about every day, and no doubt this is some consolation. Our clergy are to be thanked for their ongoing spiritual encouragement. I would like to give a ‘shout-out’ to Peter Chen and his allies in the Toronto Catholic Chinese Task-Force who offer their appreciation in another way (see attachment). They in turn deserve some thanks for their efforts. We also list two sets of resources that we hope may also be of use to those in the field.

Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us!

Let us pray for young people who are preparing for marriage with the support of a Christian community: may they grow in love, with generosity, faithfulness and patience.

(Pope Francis’ intention for June)

Moira and Bambi

Canada to share 100 million COVID-19 vaccines with nations in need – The Globe and Mail
Canada has pledged to provide up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine as part of a commitment by G7 leaders to supply more than one billion doses to the rest of the world over the next year … www.theglobeandmail.com

Vatican News
G7 Summit: CAFOD calls for UK action on climate and post-pandemic – Vatican News

The Globe and Mail  – Canadian charity – vaccine deliveries in Africa
Canadian charity gives US$1.3-billion to boost lagging COVID-19 vaccine deliveries in Africa

What makes the Delta covid-19 variant more infectious?
The variant, which first emerged in India, is already the dominant strain in the UK. Researchers are working to uncover the secrets of its success. www.technologyreview.com

Boris Johnson extends England’s pandemic restrictions amid variant concerns
Boris Johnson has told English citizens that his government’s plan to lift all Covid-19 restrictions on June 21 has been scuppered by the Delta variant of the virus. www.msn.com

Health System News Strengthening Mental Health and Wellness During COVID-19 – oha.com
Recognizing the heightened pressures being confronted by Ontario’s health care workers and other critical support staff working in the province’s hospitals, the OHA has put together a number of easily accessible mental health resources from various leading sources (international, national and provincial), such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … www.oha.com

American Medical Association – Help physicians’ COVID burnout
5 solutions to help ease physicians’ COVID-19 burnout | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)