NOT WHAT TO BE PROUD OF
After taking leave of the pandemic for two chronicles, now reality catches up with me. While we seem to have reached a certain level of new cases throughout Quebec, the situation in the Beauce-Sartigan (St-Georges) and Les Appalaches (Thetford) MRCs has nothing to make us proud of.
THE TWO WORST MRCs IN QUEBEC
As of October 1, the Chaudière-Appalaches region had 412 active cases. Of this number, 64.1% came from the MRC Beauce-Sartigan (145 cases) and Les Appalaches (119 cases). It is also in these two RCMs where we find almost all hospitalizations. This sad record in the two RCMs concerned is currently the worst in Quebec.
Finally, as elsewhere in the province, the vast majority of new cases and hospitalizations concern unvaccinated people. What will it take for the recalcitrant to finally understand?
ASSESSMENT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC
During the first wave, the Chaudière-Appalaches region was not so affected and, in the Beauceronne RCMs, COVID-19 caused few victims. Unfortunately, the waves that followed did not spare us. I would even say that they hit us right in the forehead.
In order to compare the situation between the ten MRCs in our region fairly, I took the liberty of checking the number of cases as a proportion of the population, which gives an idea of the extent of the pandemic in each of the MRCs.
In the region as a whole, the Lévis RCM had the most cases, ie 5,717, followed by Beauce-Sartigan with 4,584 cases. Taking into account the total population of each of these two RCMs, I see that Lévis, with 34.6% of the total population of Chaudière-Appalaches, has 27.6% of all cases. The same calculation carried out in the MRC Beauce-Sartigan indicates that with 12.5% of the population, we have 22.1% of all cases.
The situation is not much better when I compare the situation throughout Beauce (Beauce-Sartigan, Nouvelle-Beauce, Robert-Cliche and Etchemins) with that of the region as a whole. In fact, with 29.5% of the population, the Beauceron RCMs account for 44.7% of all cases in Chaudière-Appalaches.
LOGICAL SEQUENCE
This sad record in Beauce is no accident. The virus is not more virulent here than elsewhere. The main explanation is rather the proportion of Beauceronnes and Beaucerons vaccinated compared to the entire population of Chaudière-Appalaches.
According to data as of October 1, provided by the Communications and Public Relations Department of the CISSS Chaudière-Appalaches, 74% of the entire population has received the two vaccines required to be considered adequately vaccinated. When I examine these same data at the level of each of the MRCs, I see that the three MRCs where the vaccination rate is the lowest are the MRC Beauce-Sartigan (67%), Robert-Cliche
(67%) and Les Etchemins (69%). As if by chance, it is in these same RCMs that the percentage of cases compared to the percentage of the population is the highest.
The RCMs with the highest vaccination rate are those of Montmagny (78%), L’Islet (77%) and Lévis (75%). And, as if by chance, again, you will probably have guessed it, it is in these RCMs that the percentage of cases in relation to the population is the lowest.
These data allow us to realize that where the vaccination rate is high, there are fewer cases. To want to deny this reality is to show ignorance or bad faith.
NEW REDUCTIONS
Over the past few days, political and public health leaders have announced several new cuts that bring us even closer to normal.
Of course the vaccine passport (approved by 78% of Canadians) and the wearing of a mask are still necessary, but no more question of confinement, closures of non-essential businesses, curfews and others as we experienced a few months ago in sadness. Quebec was the first province in Canada to adopt the most severe measures. We are even sometimes made fun of elsewhere in Canada. However, when I look at the current situation, I see that the provinces which quickly abandoned sanitary measures must now make a 180-degree turn.
Even the premiers of Alberta and Ontario, who strongly opposed the vaccine passport, are on the verge of implementing it in their respective provinces. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney even apologized to his people for their mismanagement of the pandemic.
In the near future, the imposition of the compulsory vaccine for health workers is likely to cause sparks and the media will be pleased to present to us cases where the absence of staff will cause problems, but such a measure is fully justified. and is increasingly applied elsewhere in Canada and in many countries around the world. The common good must always prevail over the individual good, especially when it comes to health.
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THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
I dedicate the thought of the week to those who still refuse the vaccine in the name of their freedom: