Canada should have been better prepared

Dear Editor:

Everybody knows the plague is coming — that good guys lost.

Everybody knows that we are in deep trouble with COVID-19. And it is a bad moment to blame anyone. I agree. But if we do not understand how we get into this mess, we will step into it again and again.

We are told COVID-19 was unpredictable (the non-preparadness of other countries is not a great consolation). But is it really true?

COVID-19 resembles a scenario from horror films with terrorists or other bad guys spreading a lethal virus. COVID-19 resembles also the scenario of a mini biological war.

Does it mean nobody in the federal government has thought about such threat(s)?

Does it mean the army needs a reminder biological warfare is possible. That it might be a reality.

What stage of alert we can discuss when we do not even have enough face masks to use against a grippe. It gives a sad impression that the country was/is not prepared neither for disease nor war. Then what is the government for?

Canada has hundreds of experts on natural catastrophes and similar cataclysms. Why were these professionals not involved in preparation of a disaster mitigation plan before the problem became evident?

Canada does not have its own clearly articulated strategy against COVID-19. We have copied other countries. And not very well.

Recently, a mandatory self isolation was introduced for those returning from abroad (weeks after travellers were “advised/ requested” to do it).

Such quarantine for travellers was mandatory in many European countries from the beginning of pandemic. Since then, it was further enforced in Europe by the mandatory quarantine for all citizens, plus by banning all travel through countries.

Moreover, some governments introduced fines (up to jail terms) for not respecting quarantine and travel restrictions. And we are still debating how to enforce our regulations in a politically correct manner.

While medical officials in Canada were advising against masks as they allegedly provide no protection against virus (in particular against home-made masks), at the same time face masks were and are recommended for wearing in public places in Europe.

Also masks (specialized and conventional) are recommended for health workers in Canada. The last couple of days, we have started hearing that face masks can likely help during a pandemic. Whom to believe?

Probably the solution is in listening to professionals. More transparency, less politics?

Serge Kouzmin, West Kelowna