Europe and North America took very similar approaches to the pandemic so far with lockdown and distancing protocols. Since the start of the Fall season, there has been a resurgence of Coronavirus cases in Europe, inducing new lockdown measures and closing bars, restaurants, and other such unnecessary public service locations. In Paris, France, anyone leaving their homes require signed documentation and travel is not encouraged at any time continent-wide. Many heath ministers in Germany and the UK say that contact of anyone outside of your household should not occur if it is avoidable at all, giving way to a new age of isolation.
Professors and infectious disease specialists at McMaster University say that Canada is headed towards the same trajectory that Europe has taken so far, although caution that these international comparisons are hard to make, given the unique aspects of each nation or region individually. Dr. Zain Chagla from the university says that what we have seen in Europe so far isn't necessarily our future, but is definitely a possible scenario and we could learn from them regardless.
Chagla says that in Canada, more transparency and information for the public about disease chains and transmissions could be beneficial in showing people the way the virus spreads and moves so that they are more aware of the specifics of this disease. Of course, this would be while conserving the privacy of the affected individuals. This way, Canadians can better understand what a high-risk setting is and can avoid these situations. Dr. Peter Juni, an epidemiology and medicine professor at the University of Toronto refers to a yodelling concert that took place in his home country, Switzerland, which, inevitably, ended up being a super-spreading event.
Juni says , though, that it is safe to say that we Canadians have indeed done a lot during this pandemic, and while this winter of 2020-2021 will most likely be a long and tough one, the rule-following, good nature of us resilient Canadians could help us all weather the COVID-19 storm.
