1 in 5 Canadian households report recent COVID-19 cases
Posted Jan 31, 2022 8:38 am.
A new poll estimates about one-in-five Canadian households has had at least one case of COVID-19 since Dec. 1, 2021.
The poll was conducted by the Angus Reid Institute and asked Canadians how many people in their household received a positive test during the last two months. About 20 per cent of respondents said they did, and five per cent said the positive COVID-19 case was in a child in their home.
“One-in-three Canadians have had a negative test, while six per cent were unable to access a test to confirm or reject their illness hypothesis, and the rest did not seek a test,” the pollster added.
“With public tests less available some regions, many have relied on private tests, which come at personal expense,” the study from Angus Reid Institute found. (angusreid.org)
The poll highlights many suspect they had COVID-19 over the holidays, but have been unable to confirm it due to lack of testing, especially in B.C.
“A true count has been elusive, with challenges in testing during the Omicron wave. Among those who have taken a test, half have not taken one at a testing centre – the most reliable venue for official confirmation of positivity,” the study reads.
The poll asked respondents if they tested positive for COVID-19 since Dec. 1, 2021 but found many didn’t have access to a COVID-19 test. (angusreid.org)
“In B.C., just one-quarter of adults say they have been tested – by far the lowest number in the country. Eight per cent of residents in both B.C. and Ontario say that they have wanted to take a test but been unable to access one,” it added.
The poll reflects the timeframe when the COVID-19 variant Omicron began spreading rapidly and leading to a surge in hospitalizations.
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The study also suggests that more than half of Canadians surveyed say it is time to remove restrictions and let Canadians manage their own level of risk, an increase of 15 percentage points since this question was asked in early January.
On Friday, Canada’s top doctor said cases of Omicron have peaked nationwide.
However, Dr. Theresa Tam says hospitalizations and deaths from Omicron are still high. The number of daily deaths averaged 168 in the last week.
She says that’s the highest it has been since the early days of the pandemic in April and May 2020.
Read more: More than 100 BA.2 COVID-19 cases in Canada, Tam says research ongoing
An average of 10,800 people were in hospital with COVID-19 over the last seven days, up from 10,041 the previous week.
These numbers blow away the pre-Omicron hospitalization record of about 5,000 in mid-January 2021.
