The exterior of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on Jan. 21, 2021.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
This new year is not going well. What many hoped would mark the abrupt end of COVID-19 looks more likely to be remembered as a sequel, not a final chapter.
Blame it on the complications of rolling out vaccines across the planet – an undertaking limited in its early months by the lack of a reliable supply of doses in many countries, notably this one.
In Canada, the aim is to inoculate every citizen by the end of September. Many countries will do better than Canada in terms of reaching full inoculation this year, but some, particularly in the developing world, will do worse. That means the virus, along with its growing list of variants, will still be lurking through 2021 and into 2022, looking for a country whose population is still susceptible.
This is not a global crisis that will end with an armistice at a set hour of a set day in a set month. There’s instead a chance the end will come quietly years from now, when the World Health Organization releases a communique announcing that the virus that once held the world hostage has finally been tamed in every country. Few will even notice.
It’s because of this fact – that the pandemic will be with us for a long time, albeit to an ever-lessening degree – that governments in Canada need to address its many harmful side effects now. Putting off dealing with the long-term mental and physical health consequences of lockdowns, isolation and financial stress would be a mistake.
The list of potential harms is long, and mental-health issues lead the way.
In Statistics Canada’s regular community health survey, done in October, 32 per cent of Canadians said their mental health was “somewhat worse or much worse” compared with before the pandemic. Just 10 per cent said it was better, while 58 per cent reported no change.
A poll in December found 40 per cent of Canadians reported mental health, addiction and alcohol problems over the past year. Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario have all seen spikes in opioid overdoses.
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto has repeatedly warned about the harms of school closings on children. The hospital has also reported an alarming rise in eating disorders among children and teens; doctors in Saskatchewan said this week they are seeing the same phenomenon.
The pandemic has also exacerbated physical health problems, especially for people with chronic conditions and disabilities who have found themselves cut off from regular health services. Many cancer patients are seeing their treatments disrupted, and there is a fear that a decrease in screening could lead to what one doctor called a “tsunami” of new cancer cases in coming years.
Much of what is being reported is anecdotal or based on self-reported surveys. But common sense tells us the isolation, stress, lack of health services and absence of regular physical exercise brought on by lockdowns and other restrictions are bound to have negative health effects.
The best cure for many people will be an end to the most severe restrictions; in much of the country, that’s something that may only happen once Ottawa’s vaccination program gets fully rolling. Still, with a return to semi-normalcy, the factors causing so much anguish will disappear, and many will start finding themselves smiling again.
But there will be a significant number of people who need treatment for mental-health issues, addictions included, or for physical problems related to a year’s worth of a sedentary lifestyle, or a lack of regular visits to a dentist or doctor.
The provinces, which are responsible for health care, need to start addressing this now, but given the country’s slow and inconsistent response to COVID-19, there is reason to worry that these issues will be left to worsen.
One ambitious solution would be to ensure every Canadian who wants a checkup can get one once restrictions are loosened, perhaps starting in the fall. This includes the nearly five million Canadians who don’t have a family doctor.
If there is going to be a mass campaign to vaccinate people, why not couple it with a nationwide health check, to gather data on how Canadians are faring, and on any new ailments they are reporting?
It would be refreshing to see this country show ambition by addressing, today, the roots of what will be a serious problem tomorrow. Just the thought of it lifts the spirits.
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