Rent/buy film here.
When we embarked on the film project in 2015, the primary initiative was to shed light on the overwhelming body of evidence that supports the importance of diet and lifestyle on the formation of chronic disease. We had no idea its release would be hampered by an acute novel infectious disease. Over the past several months, we have suffered a global period of mourning as our lives have been turned upside down and we have witnessed the loss of so many loved ones. In the midst of this pandemic, Code Blue was released on May 26, 2020, to a community universally in pain. COVID-19 would lead to the cancellation of our theatrical releases in Los Angeles, New York, and Pennsylvania, as well as scratch our plans for a film tour. As an infectious disease specialist who trained in pandemic preparedness, admittedly even I was caught off guard. This virus, for which we still have many unanswered questions, remains elusive and has not only managed to take countless lives but has also irrevocably changed societal norms. The development of a safe and effective vaccine is yet to be realized. Trials for therapeutics are ongoing, some cautiously optimistic, but it will still be some time before they are readily available to the general public. How does the COVID-19 pandemic relate to the chronic disease epidemic and Code Blue? It is, indeed, alarmingly relative. The virus has placed an unexpected and startling spotlight on the chronic disease epidemic. On June 15, the CDC published findings on those affected by COVID-19 in the United States from January to the end of May 2020. Data revealed approximately 1.8 million cases and more than 100,000 deaths during this period. Chillingly, those living with a chronic disease were six times more likely to be hospitalized and twelve times more likely to die. The pandemic has further deeply affected our most vulnerable minority communities, with 33% of cases occurring in Hispanics and 22% in Blacks.
– Dr. Saray Stancic (July 2020)
You may check current CDC covid statistics here.