Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I speak today as a psychiatrist as well as chair of an academic department. COVID-19's second wave is posing some different challenges from wave one for the mental health and well-being of Canadians who are already feeling tired, frustrated, angry, scared, depressed or anxious. It is placing additional demands on health and mental health systems that are already having difficulty coping and where demand outstrips the available supply.
While we are better prepared for wave two and have learned much that has helped us to lay a foundation for what lies ahead, including our rapid adoption of virtual care, many Canadians are tired. The longer the pandemic and the isolation, distancing, lockdowns and uncertainty continue, the more the symptoms of stress become anxiety and the losses lead to depression.