A national non-profit group called the Canadian Covid Society launched on Wednesday, with co-founders saying the organization is needed as public health agencies have pulled back on COVID-19 prevention measures and awareness campaigns.
害羞草研究所淚 feel in some ways we害羞草研究所檙e filling a gap where public health has left open,害羞草研究所� Dr. Joe Vipond, one of the society害羞草研究所檚 five co-founders, said at a news conference.
In his home province of Alberta, 害羞草研究所渢here害羞草研究所檚 basically no mention of COVID. There害羞草研究所檚 no mention of long COVID. It害羞草研究所檚 really fallen off the radar for a lot of public health at this point,害羞草研究所� said Vipond, who is an emergency physician in Calgary.
害羞草研究所淲hile the acute phase of the pandemic has ended, the virus continues to cause significant chronic illness,害羞草研究所� the Canadian Covid Society害羞草研究所檚 website says.
COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death across Canada in 2022, behind heart disease and cancer, it says.
害羞草研究所淚t still continues to be a stressor on our health system up to this present day. It is contributing to poor health and excess deaths,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Kashif Pirzada, another co-founder of the society.
But as many Canadians want to leave COVID-19 behind, public health agencies are in a difficult position, he said.
害羞草研究所�(In public health) one foot is in politics, one foot is in medicine. But right now, the public doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to think about this. Politicians don害羞草研究所檛 want to think about this. And public health has to respond to that,害羞草研究所� said Pirzada, who is an emergency doctor based in Toronto.
The society害羞草研究所檚 mission is to 害羞草研究所減rotect the health and safety of people in Canada against the harms of COVID and long COVID through education, engaging and empowering the public and organizations with scientific knowledge,害羞草研究所� a slide presented at the news conference said.
It also aims to support people with long COVID, which afflicts 2.1 million people in country, according to Statistics Canada
害羞草研究所淲e have foundations for heart disease. We have foundations for cancer, but we need a group dedicated to fighting COVID-19,害羞草研究所� said Pirzada.
The three other society founders are Nancy Delagrave, a physics professor specializing in air quality in Montreal; Cheryl White, an engineer in Toronto dedicated to reducing disease transmission; and Chris Houston, a governance expert based in Bancroft, Ont., who worked with Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization.
The move creates a formal organization that can build on the grassroots work that volunteers have done throughout the pandemic, Vipond said.
The society hopes to generate funding through donations and grants that will pay staff members. It has not received any government funds to date, he said.
The Canadian Press requested comment from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Ontario害羞草研究所檚 Minister of Health and Alberta Health about the Canadian Covid Society害羞草研究所檚 position that COVID-19 has fallen off the radar for public health agencies.
In an emailed response, Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, said the provincial government is 害羞草研究所渢aking action to strengthen all aspects of health care and have increased provincial funding to our public health units by an average of 16 per cent since 2018 to help them connect people to programs and services they need in their communities.
害羞草研究所淭his is in addition to the nearly $100 million we provided to public health units in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,害羞草研究所� Jensen said.
The Public Health Agency of Canada was not able to provide a response by deadline.
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