We Are Not Okay (eBook)

COVID-19 made almost five million Canadians sick, put hundreds of thousands in hospital, and claimed over 50,000 lives. The numbers are startling yet they dont begin to capture the enormity of what weendured in our three-year ordeal, nor the fact that its not over. Many people are still grieving loved ones,many survivors are still grappling withlong covid, and manycontinue toexperience the pandemic as never-ending trauma.General healthcare has deteriorated and waiting lists have swelled even for urgent surgeries. Rates of respiratory and heart disease and strokes are up. Years of involuntary confinement, isolation, and boredom have contributed to a shadow pandemic of alcohol, cannabis, and opioid abuse, especially among the young. Rage is everywhere, the number of hate crimes has spiked, along with fears of civil disorder. Three million workers lost their jobs and a majority of small businesses either failed or weathered near-death experiences. Our workplaces, schools, and downtowns were hollowed out and may never entirely recover.As year four begins, people are still dying at alarming rates and we are just beginning to learn of the myriad knock-on effects of the pandemic. In this important and galvanizing book, Dr. Elaine Chin argues that a full auditof the personal and social consequences of COVID-19 is the indispensable first stepto a full recoveryfor individuals, families, and communities.