One in five Canadian households (21%) – and nearly one in 10 people overall – have tested positive for COVID-19 since Dec. 1, 2021, says a new study from the non-profit Angus Reid, suggesting just how widespread the omicron variant of COVID-19 may be in Canada.
A considerable portion of these positive tests (36%) – self-reported by respondents in this survey – came just after the holiday season, in the first two weeks of January, while 42% occurred in December.
These data also estimate the incidence of COVID-19 among individuals during that same period. Overall, 9% of Canadians saying they have received a positive test – either at home or at a testing centre – for COVID-19 since Dec. 1.
ARI estimates that additional 5% of Canadians – at least – have been infected during that period, based on an analysis of the number of self-reported symptoms, and the positivity rate among those with similar symptom profiles who were tested.
Notably, this 14% aligns closely with the number of Canadians who say they are “almost certain” that they have had COVID-19 in the past two months, added to those who have a positive test confirmed.
With Omicron now appearing to have peaked, many Canadians are leaning toward reducing restrictions related to COVID-19 control in Canada. A majority (54%) now say it is time to remove restrictions and let Canadians manage their own level of risk, an increase of 15 percentage points since this question was asked in early January.
More key findings:
• Household infection is reported at the highest levels in Quebec and the lowest levels in Atlantic Canada, both of which align with data submitted by provincial governments
• Testing levels for low-income households are significantly lower than those with higher household income levels. Additionally, British Columbia lags behind the rest of the country in testing, with just one-quarter of adults reporting having taken a test since Dec. 1. The national average is 42%
• Women over the age of 54 are the only age-gender group that disagree that restrictions should be ended. A majority of each of the other gender and generation groupings agree that the time has come.
Mental health
Another recent study from Angus read (Jan. 24) reported that one-in-three (36%) Canadians saying they are struggling with their mental health due to the pandemic.
When asked to summarize their feelings in recent weeks, half (48%) of Canadians say they’ve been feeling “fatigued,” while two-in-five (40%) say they’ve been frustrated, and another two-in-five (37%) say they’ve been feeling anxious. One-in-10 (12%) chose happy, half the number who chose depressed (23%).
Overall, three-in-10 Canadians say they speak regularly about their mental health with friends (30%) or family (32%), but these conversations are particularly rare among men 55 and older. Just 11% in that demographic group say they talk to their friends about how they’re feeling, while one-quarter (23%) talk to family. Women between the ages of 18 and 54 are much more likely to have this type of discourse, though fewer than half say this is a regular part of their life.
These conversations take on more importance when considering additional data in this study. One-in-three Canadians (35%) say that depression and anxiety are a major problem within their social circle; another half (48%) say it’s an issue they’re exposed to. Further, for those who perceive this as a challenge for their friends and loved ones, fully two-thirds (66%) say it has worsened during the pandemic. These same trends are noted for those who perceive people in their social circle dealing with addictions and alcoholism.