I would be very optimistic about people willing to engage in the discussion. I recognize there is an opportunity cost for all these initiatives and the question comes up: Is this not right, or what do we not do in order to do more of another initiative?
I think this has pointed out to us that we can any longer believe that Canada is immune to this.
I think the other piece of this we will and should hear loudly: the risks for those, not only patients and families who are most important to us, but also our front-line providers who have been very frightened during this pandemic. As always, evidence catches up; it doesn't always lead.
I feel bad that many people working in the health care system today are saying they know they're being told that the science doesn't say they need an N95 respirator, but they'd like a belt-and-suspenders model in case they do, so they're not putting themselves at risk in caring for another Canadian in desperate need of their support. In addition to that, they need to know that the infrastructure is there behind them, not only those who provide direct service, but equally important—and sometimes more so—are the unsung heroes: the housekeepers, porters, food service workers. These are all essential to high infection control standards in Canadian hospitals.
I think it has to be there, and I have every confidence that Canadians will demand this discussion, especially as it relates to the frailest of Canadians, our seniors in long-term care—70% of our current deaths are those individuals who built our nation. We can do better.