A majority of Quebecers believed that the first wave is complete

On Thursday, the province has reported 42 deaths related to the COVID-19, which bears the balance sheet at 5340. We also identified 120 new cases for a total of 54 383 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of healings is 22 754.

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June 18, 2020 18h33

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A majority of Quebecers believed that the first wave is complete

Morgan Lowrie

The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Quebecers are the most likely to believe that the first wave of the pandemic COVID-19 is complete, even if the province has the largest number of cases in the country, according to a survey conducted online.

The survey conducted by Léger, and the Association for canadian studies (ACS) indicates that 54 % of quebec respondents believe at the end of the first wave, compared to 47 % in Bc, 41 % in Ontario and 39 % in the Maritimes.

A majority of Quebecers (67 %) foresee the arrival of a second wave, but they are less numerous than in Ontario (78 %) and the Maritimes (80 %).

On Thursday, the province has reported 42 deaths related to the COVID-19, which bears the balance sheet at 5340. We also identified 120 new cases for a total of 54 383 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of healings is 22 754.

According to the ceo of the ACS Jack Jedwab, surveys have revealed that Quebecers, especially francophones, were less anxious with regard to the coronavirus.

“The percentage of those worried about contracting the virus is lower here, despite, paradoxically, the very high number of cases and the mortality rate is higher on average than anywhere else in the country,” said Mr. Jedwab during a phone interview.

Quebecers are also the ones who, in greater numbers, believe that their mental health is “excellent” or “very good”, according to the results of the survey.

Mr. Jedwab argues that the positive message put forward by the quebec government – associated with the campaign of a rainbow and the slogan, “it’s going to go well”, may have played a role in this perception.

He also recalled that the prime minister François Legault, whose popularity rating remains high among the electorate, repeated that about 80 % of deaths occurred in institutions of long-term care or residential homes for the elderly, which could lead the rest of the population to believe that it is less threatened.

“Quebecers do not believe that they are going to catch the virus, and this has a lot to do with the messages,” said Mr. Jedwab.

He added that the data did not suggest that this optimism had led to a greater lack of concern about the guidelines of the public health.

Dr. Brett Thombs, a professor at the Faculty of medicine of McGill University who leads a study on the evidence measuring the impact of the COVID-19 mental health, warns against making general conclusions based on the survey.

According to him, it is very difficult to compare different regions with respect to anxiety related to the COVID-19, because of numerous disparities that may have existed before the beginning of the pandemic.

“We must be very careful when we attribute that to the way they reacted to the COVID-19, compared to what they felt in a first time,” said Dr. Thombs.

He reported on a survey of vulnerable patients in four countries, indicating that anxiety was lower in Canada and France than in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has partly attributed this phenomenon to the “reaction policy is highly coherent” in the countries that are doing better.

In general, the federal and provincial governments have sent a “consistent message” and presented a front relatively kingdom, which may have reassured citizens. However, there is no scientific evidence revealing that people in different regions of Canada have differing levels of anxiety or mental health problems that are radically different in regards to the new coronavirus.

The online survey was conducted from 12 to 14 June at 1527 Canadians and 1004 Americans. In accordance with the standards of the sector, online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error.

Le Soleil