Call for B.C. inquiry after officials 'ignore the science' of airborne COVID-19 spread
One of the key figures in Canada’s inquiry into the SARS outbreak is calling for an inquiry into B.C.’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the province's rejection of scientific evidence a failure that likely cost lives.
Mario Possamai, a pandemic planning expert, forensic investigator and senior advisor to Ontario’s SARS commission, described British Columbia’s handling of the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome as “the best in the world,” having shown the value of recognising airborne spread of that virus and the value of the precautionary principle – but said those lessons have been lost in the COVID-19 response.
"Month after month after month, week after week, B.C. decided not to follow the science and ignore (airborne transmission) and I think it's lead to preventable deaths and infections,” he said, describing aerosol spread as the province’s Achilles heel.
“The precautionary principle is really a continuum of decision-making, so what that means is that if the weight of evidence changes, you can change course and you can do things differently."
Possamai urged premier John Horgan to immediately strike a public inquiry in order to adapt effective measures right away to help stem the fourth wave and adopt best practices for future waves and viruses.
CTV News Vancouver has asked the provincial health officer about airborne transmission of COVID-19 on several occasions, but provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has downplayed the importance of aerosol spread of the virus when asked, only occasionally referencing ventilation and focusing on droplet-oriented precautions.
“We need to use all of the layers of protection available: that means washing your hands regularly, staying home when you're unwell, wearing your mask -- particularly when you're around other people who are more vulnerable and in public spaces, keeping your distance from others and getting vaccinated," she said in her opening remarks on Tuesday. "What we are asking people to do is not new, but we know it works."
CLINGING TO OLD IDEAS RATHER THAN NEW SCIENCE
But how well that approach is working is up for debate as B.C.’s fourth wave continues unabated, while Ontario has had only a slight increase in cases. Experts note that Canada’s most populous province never lifted its mask mandate or gathering limits in the summer, while adopting air purifiers and other aerosol-busting strategies in Ontario classrooms.
In the spring of 2021, B.C.’s reluctance to accept the science of airborne transmission made health officials the target of an international review that called the stubbornness “both a mystery and a scandal.”
Even though the World Health Organization, US Centres for Disease Control and Public Health Agency of Canada had all accepted airborne transmission by the fall or spring, British Columbia’s regional health authorities didn’t even include mention of airborne transmission until CTV News drew attention to the outdated information.
At that time, even more scientific articles had been published and widely accepted by researchers and experts and the scientific community now believes not only is airborne spread of the virus a major source of infection, it may be the dominant method.
Despite the premier’s insistence that B.C.’s approach has been successful, with low per capita testing rates compared to the rest of Canada, not only are B.C.’s infection statistics called into question by experts, the Royal Society of Canada has raised serious questions about undercounting COVID-19 deaths; they believe there could be twice as many.
INTERNATIONAL SCRUTINY ON COVID-19 RESPONSES
Possamai’s comments come as British lawmakers are faced with a new report that described the UK’s initial response to the pandemic as stymied by groupthink that failed to incorporate lessons learned from SARS, MERS and EBOLA.
“We were not as open to approaches being taken elsewhere as we should have been,” wrote the parliamentary committee, noting that the government’s response has been largely reactionary.
Henry has come under fire for failing to adopt “soft touch” proactive measures and opting to react to surging hospitalizations instead.
B.C.’s seniors’ advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, had raised the idea of a larger inquiry last week, noting her probe into care homes only looked at deaths in the early stages of the pandemic, though she believes a longer timeline is necessary.
“We still need to look at the overall impact of health outcomes, the long-term impact on staff and facility operators, and, undoubtedly, there's things we haven't even imagined yet that we need to examine,” Mackenzie said last week. “I expect we will see these issues probed more deeply in the future as we get further through and hopefully on the other side of this pandemic.”
Possamai, who has criticized B.C.’s secrecy and refusal to collect or disclose data in another report, pointed out there’s an urgent need to address the airborne transmission gap in the province’s policies and public health education.
“We need to start getting this right and I think every week that in B.C. portable air purifiers are not put into schools and other facilities is a week lost and a week that endangers children and their families,” he insisted. “We really need to look seriously at this."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.