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A new Southwestern Public Health report confirms how the pandemic has affected the livelihood and overall health of people living in Elgin County, Oxford County, and the City of St. Thomas.
The Indirect Health Impacts of COVID-19 is one of several health status reports routinely compiled by the health unit. The purpose of this Report is to help prepare for future emergency situations and inform decisions about local recovery from COVID-19.
Key findings indicate there were more mental health and substance use concerns during the pandemic, with the number of calls to St. Thomas police services for mental health reasons almost doubling from 1,300 calls in 2019 to 2,200 calls in 2020. There was also an increase in the number of sharps returned to the health unit through the needle syringe program in Oxford County. While emergency department visits were down for most causes early in the pandemic, there was an increase in emergency department visits for opioid poisoning, particularly among 25–64-year-olds.
Unemployment rates averaged 9% in 2020. The months of April-June in that year had exceptionally high rates between 12-17%. Business bankruptcies also increased in the first year of the pandemic.
The Report analyzed several indicators focusing on mental health, substance use, violence and the economy. Data from the first year of the pandemic, 2020, was compared to pre-pandemic data to see if there was a change. It will be important to monitor these indicators moving forward to obtain a more complete picture of how the health of residents has been indirectly impacted by COVID-19.
“The emphasis of the health care system during much of 2020 and 2021 was to reduce transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and prevent hospitalizations and deaths,” says Carolyn Richards, Program Manager, Foundational Standards. “In this Report we’ve taken a close look at mental health, substance use, violence, and the economy pre-pandemic, and during the pandemic. The more we understand these indicators, the better we can respond to them now and avoid indirect health impacts in future pandemic responses.”
Southwestern Public Health has resumed many of its non-COVID-19 programs to serve the community, such as dental care, chronic disease prevention, school health, and healthy growth and development. Emergency preparedness, mental health, and substance use will be key areas to focus on coming out of the pandemic.
For more information, visit the Southwestern Public Health website to read the full report.
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