It is very apparent that COVID-19 is disproportionally affecting recent immigrants and people of non-Caucasian ethnic backgrounds in Canada. At our hospital, the first wave in 2020 devastated elderly people who lived in long term care facilities. We had various outbreaks in our community throughout the year associated with workplaces, particularly meat packinging plants, as well as clusters in social groups, including Old Order Mennonites. The Greater Toronto Area currently has high numbers of hospitalized patients, some of whom are being transferred to other ICUs and medical units in hospitals around the province. The majority of these patients who have come to our hospital are originally from India, South-east Asia, the Middle East, Central America or they are Black Canadians. And there are a few middle class, white patients who have been infected and hospitalized as well.
New immigrants to Canada and other people of colour make up the bulk of the essential work force in southern Ontario. They work in stores, warehouses, factories, hotels, restaurants, delivery services, health care, transportation and child care. These jobs are often low paying contract positions, without benefits, and many people I know in health care work have two or more part time jobs. The workers tend to support multi-generational families who share a home together. It is a perfect storm for contagion.
The "power flower" above is often used as a classroom activity that demonstrates the social advantages of belonging to particular groups in Canada. It can be adapted to any country and other petals can be added. The more petals a person can colour in, the more advantages they are likely have in our society. I identify with every petal other than age and gender and must recognize the often unconscious benefits I have enjoyed throughout my life. I try to understand the back stories of the COVID patients I see, and the majority of them would be able to colour in only two or three petals of the flower.
This pandemic has demonstrated how vulnerable this working class is in regards to health, economy, and social security. There are people demonstrating against current government mandates closures and the rules around face masks and social distancing. From my observations, these protests are led by white people who inherently have the most privilege.
There are people, particularly younger, educated Canadians who also have to work at low paying, part time and contract jobs. Getting a full time job with benefits and a pension was almost a certainty when I started working, even for people with no more than a high school education. The power flower is not a perfect representation of success, but it does identify challenges that some groups consistently face.
COVID news is consistently discouraging right now, so here are some flower pictures from this week that brought me joy!
Beautiful bouquet from my Ottawa family to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary this week
Tamarack flowers. I love watching these dead looking deciduous coniferous trees come to life in the spring.
Fleur-de-lis or Blue Flag Iris bouquet from my husband.
Pulmonaria (Lungwort) blooms from a plant I took from Grandma's garden in the 1980s.
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