Experts are focusing on shifting the public health message of “learning to live with COVID”

Toronto-Ontario citizens have recently begun to hear their best health and government officials saying, “Learn to live with COVID-19,” but it will come back to life as soon as 2019. Does not mean, and authorities should refine their message, experts say.

Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Health Doctor, is currently using this phrase, as is Toronto’s Supreme Doctor, Ontario’s Minister of Health, and Prime Minister Doug Ford.

Anna Banergi, a professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said it would be difficult for many to move from the main message of “being at home” to the message of “learning to live together.”

“We have all had collective trauma over the last few years. The whole world has some collective trauma,” she said.

“I think it will be difficult for people. People are afraid to get it. And many are doing all the right things.”

For some, the message represents a welcome transition, but she said the healthcare system is still struggling and needs to be done gradually.

“Maybe not many governments are saying,’We have to take these steps to keep society safe.’ Perhaps we’re moving to’What are your risks?’ I think I’ll do it. Who are around you? “

Justin Presseau, co-chair of the Behavioral Sciences Working Group at the Ontario Science Table, said he was not a fan of the “learn to live with the virus” story personally.

“All of us have been” living with this virus “for more than two years, so many people have already made many sacrifices and experienced losses as part of living with the virus.” He said.

“Given past messages on how to stay safe, the more subtleties of support and communication on how to continue to work as a community to keep ourselves and the most vulnerable people safe until the end of today’s Omicron. We hope to see a transition. The phase towards what we want is moving towards a return to a more normal state. “

Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, said the use of the term “learn to live with COVID” is problematic because it has been a “meeting cry” for COVID minimization for the past two years. Said.

“People hear surrender, and I don’t think they should hear,” he said.

Rather, it is acceptable that COVID-19 will continue to circulate to some extent for the foreseeable future, but people should not necessarily be afraid, Deonandan said.

“That doesn’t mean we open the door and throw away all the mitigation tools,” he said.

This means that the “magic of vaccination” will be repeated and the measures will be gradually lifted, but some people will still be infected with COVID-19 and some will die of illness. I admit, but hopefully it’s so few that it’s no longer worth the press.

“I think part of the message is that you shouldn’t be afraid,” he said.

“In fact, we shouldn’t have been afraid of ourselves personally. We should always be afraid of individuals and the healthcare system who can’t protect themselves.”

According to Deonandan, the personal risk of a fully vaccinated and boosted person is very low, but will not be zero.

“We reduce it as much as possible and overlay that risk with an appropriate comparator. For example, is the risk equivalent to crossing the street? Is it equivalent to eating raw food? To the flu? Is it the same as taking someone who knows it’s going to dinner? “

Deonandan also said that there are various considerations for those who have young children who are not yet vaccinated, and those who are at high risk or who live with someone in that category.

When Moore was asked to expand his comment “Learn to live with COVID” last week, Omicron is highly contagious, difficult to control, and the state is now an effective COVID-. 19 Said that there is a vaccinated population available for treatment.

According to Moore, when society discusses the number of public health measures to maintain or simply recommend while balancing people’s mental, physical, social, economic and educational needs. Is said to have come.

“We had two years of being very afraid of this virus and the strain changed over time,” he said.

“So, as a society that reduces that fear, it will take time for us to normalize our lives with this virus.”

Moore said many of the basic public health beliefs emphasized during the pandemic would hopefully continue.

“Because we’ve got out of this and normalized all the other viruses, normalizing Omicron and COVID will be a social journey,” he said, flu vaccination.

Dr. Noah Ivers, a family doctor at Women’s College Hospital, said that when authorities talk about learning to live with COVID-19, they should follow that statement by identifying what they mean. I did.

According to Ivers, there are certain public health measures that continue to make a big difference, such as improving ventilation, improving sick leave policies, and staying at home when sick.

“I think it’s really, really reassuring to hear that society has learned from now on how society can keep these people safe, regardless of their physical, mental or immune system. Does not want to forget all of these and return to forgetting them. “

This report by Canadian Press was first published on February 6, 2022.