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home / 世界杯决赛2022

opinion: covid showed we can do hard things and big things

dr. vera etches: in the last 12 months, we have changed our health behaviours to protect others and ourselves on a scale that hasn’t been seen in generations.

by ottawa citizen

mar 10 2021
read time 4 minute read
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by: dr. vera etches
thursday marks the anniversary of the first diagnosed covid-19 case in ottawa – the same day the world health organization declared the virus a pandemic. this week, we share a range of viewpoints on the year that was, and on what lies ahead.
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it’s challenging to reflect on the extraordinary changes we have experienced to-date as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
are we all in this together? yes, in some ways. around the world, no one has been left untouched by the pandemic. but are we all living the same thing? no, because we have all had very different experiences due to privilege, where we work, the supports we have access to and where we live. we may all be weathering the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.
at ottawa public health, the foundation of our work is to promote, prevent, protect and prepare. it’s been said that when public health works well, it’s mostly invisible but when the first person in ottawa tested positive for  covid-19, our work became urgent, highly visible and continues to change at a pace that is hard to sustain.
looking back over the last year, i consider what we have lived, what we have lost and what we have learned. the harms have not affected us equally. covid-19 has impacted people in racialized communities at a disproportionately high rate. community and faith leaders, along with community health centres and associations, have highlighted this inequity and identified longstanding gaps for underserved populations.
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people living and working in long-term care and other congregate living settings, such as retirement homes and shelters, have suffered through months of isolation from family and friends as the virus took the lives of so many in those settings. it saddens me to see the loss of our elders, with every person who has died holding a special place in the heart of someone. i look to the progress that’s been made over the past year to improve infection prevention and control in long-term care homes and to bring essential caregivers back to support their loved ones. i want to keep building on that strength to advocate and protect older adults in the most vulnerable stages of their lives.
i’ve also been thinking of how the pandemic is affecting our community’s mental and physical well-being beyond covid-19. many people have had to delay or postpone appointments, surgeries, treatment and other care. we have seen an increase in people using substances to cope, and the need for mental health supports continues to grow as we keep living with covid.
we have seen many business owners adapt to an unpredictable cycle of closures and re-openings. many employees struggle to earn a living with precarious employment and some of our family members, friends and neighbours have lost their jobs. essential workers and people working on the front lines of our health system, child care, school and food services continue to put in long hours week after week.
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one thing i want people in ottawa to take away from this year is that we can do hard things. we changed our health behaviours to protect others and ourselves on a scale that hasn’t been seen in generations.
we can also do big things. we have seen the number of people testing positive for covid-19 rise, then seen those numbers fall through the hard work and dedication of our city. our care for one another motivates us and we have changed how we live, work, learn and play to keep each other safe and healthy in our community.
we can also improve things. we have seen the power of partnerships, technology and communication. i’m not sure if we’ve ever appreciated our family, friends and coworkers more than we do now.
as we continue to roll out vaccines in ottawa, i feel hopeful. having multiple effective vaccines to use is worth celebrating and this is a turning point in the pandemic. but this has been a very hard year. grief and fatigue can often overshadow glimmers of hope.
when i’m worn down, i think of all the people in this city who keep going. during the past year, there were days when my boys cried when i left for work in the morning and asked me not to go. on the weekends, i try to give them special one-on-one time. they know i am working the best way i know how to help our city get rid of this virus. i’m like so many others who are working in every corner of this beautiful city, hoping for better days ahead.

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in every home, every classroom, every workplace, every long-term care home, we do this hard work around the clock.  we are not helpless. we can protect each other as we wait for the incredible promise of a summer with vaccine protection.
we keep going.
dr. vera etches is medical officer of health, ottawa public health. for the latest information on vaccination in ottawa, please look here.
read the other stories in our year one series 

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