LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC

About three years ago, Hamilton and the rest of the world entered a disturbingly new reality of economic, health and political uncertainty thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that has so far killed 7 million people, including 51,113 Canadians and 677 in Hamilton.

As COVID starts to transition from pandemic to endemic illness, it's time to reflect on the lessons learned that should be put into practice when the next health crisis hits.

COVID-19 revealed how governments and public health-care system were sorely unprepared for a pandemic, despite SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009 and MERS in 2013. A review of the Public Health Agency of Canada's response found failure in every decision made. The government's response was also a hodgepodge of decisions — banning flights from one country, India, while allowing flights from another country, Brazil, even though COVID remained prevalent.

Angers that had been boiling underneath Canada's surface for years including political, health, societal and economic inequities that have long plagued vulnerable populations, from older adults living in long-term health-care facilities to Indigenous and racialized individuals who failed to receive equal health care, came to the fore.

COVID-19 also demonstrated the constant tension and at times outright animosity between health-care professionals and politicians. While politicians repeated mouthed public safety bromides to the public, in reality they hedged, downplayed and even blatantly ignored the health risks to the public in their decision-making.

Their strategies were at times confusing, counterproductive and sometimes not even relevant.

To be sure, there were positives that can and should be remembered for future crisis. The pandemic forced innovation in technology, from the now ubiquitous virtual meetings to medical care, especially the unprecedented development of a new vaccine for COVID-19. And quick government decision-making to approve massive action to mitigate the economic and financial efforts of the pandemic — albeit without the necessary oversight rules — helped both businesses and vulnerable people survive.

It revealed that economic health is dependent upon public health for survival, and that trust requires transparency, not only through frequent and targeted crisis communication, but also by engaging with stakeholders and the public in risk-related decision-making.

However, questions remain about the future of the body politic. There seems to be among the community a drop in trust for public health officials, government and science representatives in general, partly due to frustration over changing pandemic advice.

But there is the reality that at least initially, collective action by the public, government and health officials saved lives. In general, people understood the critical need to protect vulnerable people in a health crisis while also testing themselves for the protection of their friends and family's lives.

While self-interest remains a defining feature of the pandemic, there are glimmers of hope that maybe, given another chance, Canada and the world will do a better job than before.