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PUBLIC HEALTH RESTRICTIONS

  • Why is this virus so hard to control  - why do we need these restrictions?

  • How do you know when a lockdown strategy is needed?

  • Is what we have right now a complete lockdown? What is a circuit breaker strategy?

  • The restrictions in Alberta have reduced mortality from COVID-19.

WHY CAN WE NOT RESUME NORMAL LIFE

  • Why we can’t live with COVID-19 the same way as with seasonal influenza.

  • Why we should not use a natural herd immunity strategy?

POTENTIAL LOCKDOWN BENEFIT

  • The COVID-19 restrictions are saving lives.

  • More people have died from COVID-19 than lockdowns.

  • Which is worse for the economy, the pandemic or public health restrictions?

  • COVID-19 has prevented access to healthcare for non-COVID-19 illnesses and conditions.

  • Has the rate of suicides and drug overdoses changed during lockdowns?

  • How has the crime rate changed during public health restrictions?

HEALTH SYSTEM

  • How should we interpret daily data updates to understand the current threat of COVID-19?

  • How many patients are in the hospital because of COVID-19 versus “WITH” COVID-19?

  • The virus is threatening our healthcare capacity.

HYPOTHETICAL THERAPIES

  • Does taking Vitamin D daily protect against COVID-19?

  • Ivermectin is not a recommended therapy against this virus.

CONTACT TRACING

  • What is contact tracing and why is it important?

FALSE POSITIVES

  • The false positive rate of COVID-19 PCR tests is extremely low. What is a “cycle threshold” in PCR testing?

  • False positives and over-testing are not driving up the case numbers. It is important for testing to continue.

Does taking Vitamin D daily protect against

COVID-19?

COVID-19 Questions & Myths

There are ongoing studies but, so far, no good quality scientific evidence suggests that Vitamin D either prevents or is useful in treating COVID-19 infection. Some studies have suggested it is useful but others have not. People with Vitamin D deficiency may be more likely to have severe COVID-19, although it is possible that both the Vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 could be related to other health issues. 

In any case, most Canadians should consider taking Vitamin D supplements in the winter because of low levels due to reduced sunlight exposure (Health Canada guidelines suggest 400-800 iu/d for most people).  

References:
i. Level on Hospital Admission Associated With COVID-19 Stage and Mortality, De Smet D et al. Serum, American Journal of Clinical Pathology  
ii. Vitamin D for COVID-19, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
iii. Vitamin D and Calcium: Updated Dietary Reference Intakes, Health Canada

2. Is Ivermectin an effective therapy against this virus?

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used in both humans and animals to treat parasitic infections.  It is reported to have antiviral properties against some viruses including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) in the lab. It has not yet been proven to have clinical activity against the COVID-19 virus, although studies are ongoing. Some clinical studies have suggested benefit but others have not, and a well-designed, conclusive trial has not yet been done. Some are concerned that the doses of ivermectin needed for antiviral activity may be too dangerously high. The ICON trial has been used as justification to use this drug but problems with that trial design have been found and more trials are being carried out. 

COVID-19 guidelines have reviewed the evidence and do not suggest ivermectin use at this time. Within Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia COVID-19 guidelines updated in December 2020 do not suggest using ivermectin outside of research studies. 

References
i. Drug treatments for covid-19: living systematic review and network meta-analysis, British Medical Journal
ii. Antiviral Drugs That Are Approved or Under Evaluation for the Treatment of COVID-19, National Institutes of Health
iii. Current Guidance for the Management of Adult Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19, Alberta Health Services
iv. Ontario COVID-19 Clinical Practice Guidelines: Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Therapy in Adult Patients with COVID-19, Sinai Health System - University Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
v. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Therapy in Adult Patients with COVID-19, British Columbia COVID-19 Therapeutics Committee