As parts of Canada see staggering rises in COVID-19 activity amid Omicron's rapid spread, experts say the highly transmissible variant is training a spotlight on social inequities across the country.
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Rapid spread of Omicron showing 'tale of two pandemics: rich and poor'
As parts of Canada see staggering rises in COVID-19 activity amid Omicron's rapid spread, experts say the highly transmissible variant is training a spotlight on social inequities across the country.
Dr. Amit Arya, a palliative care physician in Mississauga, Ont., said Omicron's rise continues to show "a tale of two pandemics -- rich and poor," with those who can afford to better protect themselves pitted against those who can't.
He said lower-income populations often don't have the funds to buy upgraded masks or rapid antigen tests, nor can they easily take time off work to isolate or get their booster doses.
"If you have money, you're able to afford the protection you need to survive and be safe," he said.
Essential workers bore the brunt of COVID-19 infections during Canada's Delta-driven wave last spring, and Arya said low-wage employees are likely to experience some of that again.
As provinces scale back eligibility for PCR testing, he pointed out that private testing companies in Ontario, which can offer same-day results for those willing to pay $160 or more for the service, further show an income divide in how people can deal with COVID-19.
Risk profiles have also differed across economic lines throughout the pandemic, Arya said, but the more transmissible Omicron variant may exacerbate them.
"(Essential workers) by definition have to leave the house to work," he said. "They might be taking public transit to work, they might be working around 400 people in a distribution centre ... many front-line workers are racialized, they're immigrants to Canada, they're more likely to live in multi-generational households with elders and vulnerable children who aren't vaccinated."
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