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Global pandemic . Today , those two words mean many different things .
For British Columbians and all Canadians , it means first understanding the nature and scope of the risk to themselves and their families , the best way to stay healthy , and the responsibility we have to each other . For essential frontline workers , it ’ s a call to service . And for health-care workers in particular , it means combining all the training , education and experience into one collective effort to care for patients and our communities .
But of course , the response is only as good as the information that fuels it . British Columbia researchers — at UBC Faculty of Medicine , the BC Centre for Disease Control ( BCCDC ) and other institutions in the province — have been at the forefront of COVID-19 research , which has been essential to our provincial and national response .
BCCDC medical microbiologists ( who are also UBC researchers ) rapidly developed COVID-19 tests , allowing the province to begin testing in January , weeks before other jurisdictions . B . C . public health data has also been instrumental in informing the BC Restart Plan , with its phased approach to reopen the province ’ s economy . And UBC faculty researchers are also part of national and international committees investigating immunity , vaccines , treatments , effects in pregnancy and other key aspects of COVID-19 .
Indeed , these are extraordinary times . Students around the province are witnessing a 21st century global health crisis on a scale you won ’ t find in any textbook . The lessons learned today will help shape and equip tomorrow ’ s doctors , nurses , occupational therapists , physiotherapists , pharmacists and everyone else involved in health care .
We must not forget , however , the increased stress and strain on our communities . For students and post‐graduate learners regardless of the area of education , the pandemic ’ s impact , from increased workload to the interruption of day-to-day learning , has been great . We all deal with stress in different ways and must check in on each other , now more than ever .
Finally , the past few months have reinforced the importance of applying the latest research to patient care , an area where the UBC Faculty of Medicine excels . We ’ ve seen researchers set aside their own areas of study to fast-track COVID-19 research and clinical trials . As a result , research that once took years now takes weeks . We ’ ve seen others study the psychological and social effects of quarantines and lockdowns , producing critical research on potential harms to women , children and racialized communities .
Of course , this pandemic will forever change many longstanding practices including the way health research is shared and published . Our ability as health‐care professionals to understand what ’ s happening worldwide depends on our ability to access and exchange information .
Global pandemic . Those words will never mean the same thing again . The personal stories of loss , the incredible creativity and resilience people have shown , will forever colour our memory of this time . We won ’ t know the full effects for many years . But we do know that COVID-19 has transformed the way we think about and provide health care and use research to shape decisions .
B . C . has led the way , producing research to inform policy , monitoring the impact and helping craft patient care in a changing and uncertain time . British Columbians , and indeed all Canadians , should be proud of the integral role we ’ ve played so far in the fight against COVID-19 .
Dr . Bonnie Henry Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia
ISSUE 5 : SPECIAL EDITION — RAPID RESPONSE 19