COVID-19 fear leading to health care workers, ethnic groups being stigmatized
Alberta's chief medical officer of health spoke about stigma and compassion in her daily COVID-19 update on Thursday
© Supplied Staff putting on PPE inside the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alta. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw said certain ethnic groups are being stigmatized and health care workers are being singled out as being higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.
"This has been a tough year and I know many people have fear, anxiety and frustration," she said.
However, "despite everyone's best efforts, every one of us is at risk of being exposed."
Read more: Stigma of COVID-19 left Alberta ‘long hauler’ and her family feeling ostracized
Hinshaw said outbreaks are identified because people care and want to stop any further spread. She said people who test positive should not be stigmatized. It will discourage others from also being tested and cooperating with public health officials.
Instead, Hinshaw asked Albertans to "treat them with the kindness you'd want to be treated with."
Dr. Deena Hinshaw said certain ethnic groups are being stigmatized and health care workers are being singled out as being higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.
"This has been a tough year and I know many people have fear, anxiety and frustration," she said.
However, "despite everyone's best efforts, every one of us is at risk of being exposed."
Read more: Stigma of COVID-19 left Alberta ‘long hauler’ and her family feeling ostracized
Hinshaw said outbreaks are identified because people care and want to stop any further spread. She said people who test positive should not be stigmatized. It will discourage others from also being tested and cooperating with public health officials.
Instead, Hinshaw asked Albertans to "treat them with the kindness you'd want to be treated with."
NDP releases Edmonton, Calgary hospitalization projections
The NDP said Thursday that Alberta Health Services' projections it obtained show hospitalizations in Alberta's two largest cities will increase by upwards of 50 per cent by Christmas Eve, while at the same time calling on the UCP to be more transparent with the data available.
The projections show as many as 324 Calgarians could be in hospital by Christmas, with 58 being treated in ICUs, according to the NDP, which represents a roughly 60 per cent increase.
In Edmonton, hospitalizations could rise by 50 per cent, the NDP said, with the possibility that 564 people could be spending Christmas in hospital, with as many as 111 in ICU.
Video: Alberta could see more than 1,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations by Dec. 24: AHS
Opposition Leader Rachel Notley called the UCP's response a "cloak and dagger" approach by not being as open as possible with all the information at hand, adding that it allows people to understand the decisions being made.
"When stalling the rate of growth of this virus, and the very nature of the crisis, comes down to the individual actions of all Albertans... public trust is even more important than ever," she said.
"And so, using the notion that you will hide information -- rather than disclose information -- as the rule of thumb, undermines the ability of all Albertans to do what they need to do to keep their neighbours safe."
Notley also called for Premier Jason Kenney to release the province's R value, which is the rate of COVID-19 reproduction -- or spread -- in the community.
In an emailed statement, AHS said the data the NDP was referring to was from the health authority's "early warning system," a tool used to prepare for changes in demand based on predictions of hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
"It provides a point in time forecast, and is updated constantly throughout the day," AHS said. "AHS is already increasing capacity to meet this forecast, and the potential for higher demand due to COVID-19."
AHS provided low, medium and high projections for each zone. By Dec. 24, Calgary could see between 145 (low), 222 (medium) and 345 (high) hospitalizations and between 26 (low), 40 (medium) and 58 (high) ICU admissions. Edmonton could see between 253 (low), 385 (medium) and 564 (high) hospitalizations and between 50 (low), 76 (medium) and 111 (high) ICU admissions, according to the forecasting.
As of Thursday, Edmonton had 371 people in hospital (72 in ICU) and Calgary had 201 people in hospital (40 in ICU).
AHS said in addition to more than 70 ICU beds that have already been freed up between Calgary and Edmonton in recent weeks, more beds are being secured in both zones, and plans are underway to secure more critical care capacity in the North, South and Central zones.
The NDP said Thursday that Alberta Health Services' projections it obtained show hospitalizations in Alberta's two largest cities will increase by upwards of 50 per cent by Christmas Eve, while at the same time calling on the UCP to be more transparent with the data available.
The projections show as many as 324 Calgarians could be in hospital by Christmas, with 58 being treated in ICUs, according to the NDP, which represents a roughly 60 per cent increase.
In Edmonton, hospitalizations could rise by 50 per cent, the NDP said, with the possibility that 564 people could be spending Christmas in hospital, with as many as 111 in ICU.
Video: Alberta could see more than 1,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations by Dec. 24: AHS
Opposition Leader Rachel Notley called the UCP's response a "cloak and dagger" approach by not being as open as possible with all the information at hand, adding that it allows people to understand the decisions being made.
"When stalling the rate of growth of this virus, and the very nature of the crisis, comes down to the individual actions of all Albertans... public trust is even more important than ever," she said.
"And so, using the notion that you will hide information -- rather than disclose information -- as the rule of thumb, undermines the ability of all Albertans to do what they need to do to keep their neighbours safe."
Notley also called for Premier Jason Kenney to release the province's R value, which is the rate of COVID-19 reproduction -- or spread -- in the community.
In an emailed statement, AHS said the data the NDP was referring to was from the health authority's "early warning system," a tool used to prepare for changes in demand based on predictions of hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
"It provides a point in time forecast, and is updated constantly throughout the day," AHS said. "AHS is already increasing capacity to meet this forecast, and the potential for higher demand due to COVID-19."
AHS provided low, medium and high projections for each zone. By Dec. 24, Calgary could see between 145 (low), 222 (medium) and 345 (high) hospitalizations and between 26 (low), 40 (medium) and 58 (high) ICU admissions. Edmonton could see between 253 (low), 385 (medium) and 564 (high) hospitalizations and between 50 (low), 76 (medium) and 111 (high) ICU admissions, according to the forecasting.
As of Thursday, Edmonton had 371 people in hospital (72 in ICU) and Calgary had 201 people in hospital (40 in ICU).
AHS said in addition to more than 70 ICU beds that have already been freed up between Calgary and Edmonton in recent weeks, more beds are being secured in both zones, and plans are underway to secure more critical care capacity in the North, South and Central zones.
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