Within the past few months, the world has been hit with the greatest pandemic since the Spanish Flu of 100 years ago. The total number of global cases has by now surpassed 3 million, while the number of deaths is well over 200,000. This, by far, outpaces the 18,000 deaths caused by the H1N1 pandemic of 2009.
Of all the countries in the world, the United States has been the hardest hit in terms of total numbers, though it falls behind Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland on a per capita basis. It should be noted that it is impossible to determine the number of cases in the People’s Republic of China, where this global pandemic originated, because the numbers provided by the Communist government of that country are viewed with suspicion by most objective observers.
Canada too has been hard hit – though not as bad as the United States, when one takes the population of the two countries into account. The number of cases per 1 million of population is roughly twice as high in the United States, while the death rate is 2.5 times as high, according to official data.
Even so, there are a number of similarities between our two countries in relation to this crisis. This is not surprising, as we share the longest undefended border in the world and our countries are inexorably linked by economic and other factors.
Both have had to face the quarantines, the stay-at-home orders, the physical distancing, the closure of all but essential businesses and services – and all other measures that are vital in curbing the spread of this airborne disease. For both our countries, as well as the rest of the world, this has created an economic crisis on top of the public health crisis.
Likewise, the pandemic is spread unequally. The U.S. states hardest hit on a per capita basis are New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Louisiana. In Canada it is the province of Quebec which accounts for over 50 percent of Canada’s cases and almost 60 percent of the deaths related to COVID-19, despite containing only 24 percent of the country’s population. Next in terms of per capita cases is Alberta, although the death rate is much smaller in relative terms. This may be explained by the fact that province is most effective in testing. But here too there is a regional divide. Calgary and the southern part of the province are much more affected proportionately than Edmonton and the north. There’s a bit of an anomaly here as Alberta borders on Montana, which is the least affected of the continental U.S. states.
But then Alberta’s eastern neighbor, Saskatchewan, which also borders on Montana, has such a relatively low number of infections that it is beginning to consider a phased-in reduction of restrictions, as are many U.S. states in the same position. Alberta’s western neighbor, British Columbia, has been most successful in flattening the curve. This is the province that was first affected by COVID-19, but implemented emergency measures early and has managed to contain the pandemic to some degree. In this it can be compared favorably to its immediate southern neighbor – the state of Washington.
There is one glaring statistic among Canadian cases. Close to half the deaths occur in long-term care centers, compared with about 20 percent in the United States.
But a basic problem faced by both countries is the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers, who are bearing the brunt of this crisis and face huge risks, and ventilators for patients. In Canada this shortage is particularly acute in Quebec and Ontario, although Alberta is well prepared and is donating surplus supplies to other provinces. But even in Alberta, while the supply is there, there have been problems in distributing these items to health-care centers in the province.
But since our two countries are so intertwined in many ways, the need for PPEs must be addressed on a mutual basis and cannot be used as a political tool. Fortunately, U.S. President Donald Trump has backed off from his earlier decision to not only ban the export of PPEs to Canada, but to divert procurements that had already been placed on order.
At this point in time, we have no way of knowing when the crisis will actually pass. Yes, there are various models and projections, but none are infallible. So, we must work together and not against each other to battle this crisis. We must continue to follow the guidelines set by knowledgeable health authorities, continue maintaining physical distancing, wash our hands frequently and tackle this pandemic as best we can. And most of all – pray for an end. In time, we shall overcome.
Marco Levytsky may be contacted at ukrnews@shaw.ca.