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OTTAWA, ON, May 3, 2021 /CNW/ -
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians, particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Last fall, my annual Chief Public Health Officer report highlighted that health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately impacted seniors, essential workers, racialized populations, and people living in crowded housing. These inequalities are not only persistent, but appear to be growing. Canadian Blood Services, supported by PHAC through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, has tested antibodies in donor blood specimens from nine provinces throughout the pandemic to estimate how many healthy donors have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The latest report shows us that by January 2021, residents in poorer neighbourhoods were nearly 3.5 times more likely to have been exposed to the virus, compared to residents of more affluent neighbourhoods across Canada. Donors aged 17-24 years continue to show higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence than older adults and by January 2021, blood donors from non-white or racialized groups were twice as likely to have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 than blood donors who identified themselves as white.