As we scramble out of the pandemic, the true extent of the damage is emerging.
Take, for example, the worldwide death toll. Some countries such as Russia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Peru and Indonesia are thought to have drastically under-reported COVID-19 fatalities, either due to difficulties collecting data or deliberate efforts to obscure real numbers. Some countries, such as Mexico, were not testing for COVID, meaning the number of people who died from it is unknown.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in a May 5 news release that between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2021, an estimated 14.9 million people died as a result of the virus.
That number includes both those who died from having contracted the virus, and those who died from other conditions such as heart attacks that went untreated due to overburdened health systems. The estimate also takes into consideration the deaths that did not occur because of COVID restrictions, for example, fewer traffic collisions and a reduction in cases of influenza.
The estimate is based on the actual number of people who died, compared to the number of people who would have died had there been no pandemic.
However, the numbers are calculated – almost 15 million is a lot of people. And COVID is not over yet.
The long-term impact of COVID on people’s health remains a big unknown. While some people appear to recover completely from the virus, there is a certain percentage of people, both older adults with other health conditions, and young, healthy individuals, who may suffer lingering signs and symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and an array of other problems.
The pandemic also caused economic ills worldwide. Canada was relatively fortunate in that all levels of government were quick to provide assistance to those who needed it – businesses large and small, individuals who lost their jobs or had hours cut, even charities unable to hold their usual fundraisers.
Yes, there were abuses. Some businesses and individuals collected benefits to which they were not entitled, whether in error or deliberate fraud. Some fell through the cracks. Food bank use shot sky high, but at the same time, so did the price of housing as city dwellers discovered working from home could mean working from a scenic, pleasant community.
Some businesses weathered the COVID-19 storm better than others. Big box stores did well; small, local businesses, not so much. Many of the latter quickly developed an online presence and figured out new ways to serve their customers.
The local library system, for example, did whatever worked – online events, curbside pickup, and printing proof of vaccination for people. Zoom became much more than a conferencing tool only the office IT person knew about – many people, from teenage techno-wizards to technology-shy grandparents, are now as familiar with it as email.
Restaurants shifted from table service to takeout, with beer and wine. Retail outlets with a very local customer base found themselves dealing with online customers in different time zones.
At the same time, many students were unable to get the help they needed. Social services became difficult to access. The number of people experiencing homelessness grew.
With provincial and municipal elections looming, eyes are focused on the future. COVID assistance programs are coming to an end.
The problem is that many of the businesses and organizations that struggled through the pandemic, are still struggling. It has been only a couple of months since COVID restrictions were lifted. That is not enough time to rebuild a business, and certainly not enough time to fix our health-care and long-term care systems. We need to make sure the foundation is stable before we go on a building blitz.
Although political candidates will surely want to put COVID behind them, they may need to be reminded by voters that it is too soon for that. Next year at this time… perhaps, but not now. Some of those COVID assistance programs need to stay in place for a while.
