Looking ahead to Alberta this fall, it's challenging to compare other countries' experiences with COVID-19. Here's why. 🧵
Being one of the few (only?) jurisdictions to abandon most testing, tracing, & isolation (TTI) protocols -- the 3 pillars of pandemic management -- Alberta is creating an entirely new environment for COVID-19.
This makes drawing lessons from TTI countries quite tenuous.
This makes drawing lessons from TTI countries quite tenuous.
When people say "kids in Country X are at low risk for contracting COVID-19," they're probably right.
A good follow-up question: "Did Country X have test-trace-isolate protocols in place?"
If not, it's tough to compare them with Alberta this fall.
A good follow-up question: "Did Country X have test-trace-isolate protocols in place?"
If not, it's tough to compare them with Alberta this fall.
Testing, tracing, and isolating are at least partially responsible for maintaining low rates of spread in Country X. If things look relatively good there, it's tough to dismiss the impact of TTI protocols.
Test-trace-isolate also improves the risk calculus by providing people with information about overall rates, whether they've been in contact with a positive case, & whether sick people are more likely to stay home.
Alberta parents won't have the benefit of that info this fall.
Alberta parents won't have the benefit of that info this fall.
So, if you have the urge to lecture an Alberta parent to "calm down, the kids were fine last year" or "British kids are faring well, so get over it," resist. This is not 2020, and we're not in Britain. Lessons from then/there only take us so far now.
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