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An interesting thread by Globe & Mail health columnist Andre Picard @picardonhealth in defence of Dr. Tam @CPHO_Canada.
Picard makes some good points. Here's what I would say in opposition...
1/ https://twitter.com/picardonhealth/status/1247899045885964288
Picard makes some good points. Here's what I would say in opposition...
1/ https://twitter.com/picardonhealth/status/1247899045885964288
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Dr. Tam has one job: to protect the health of Canadians. It's a non-partisan role, with a clear focus: Keep us safe, protect us from death and disease.
During COVID-19 crises, however, partisan concerns and her devotion to confused WHO policy got in the way of that job.
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Dr. Tam has one job: to protect the health of Canadians. It's a non-partisan role, with a clear focus: Keep us safe, protect us from death and disease.
During COVID-19 crises, however, partisan concerns and her devotion to confused WHO policy got in the way of that job.
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When the virus broke out in Wuhan, Tam's job was to keep it from spreading here.
Countries like Taiwan and New Zealand did this by at once putting in mandatory quarantine of all travellers from any infected country.
Tam rejected this opion repeatedly.
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Countries like Taiwan and New Zealand did this by at once putting in mandatory quarantine of all travellers from any infected country.
Tam rejected this opion repeatedly.
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Why did Tam reject it?
a) Because it would alienate China, and maybe stop that country from being open about outreak (Of course, China had engaged in cover up attempt).
b) It would go against out treaty with the WHO.
c) It would stigmatize folks linked to infected areas.
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a) Because it would alienate China, and maybe stop that country from being open about outreak (Of course, China had engaged in cover up attempt).
b) It would go against out treaty with the WHO.
c) It would stigmatize folks linked to infected areas.
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These were all largely political and social concerns, with no tight link to Canada's public health imperative -- and Dr. Tam's only real job here -- to control spread of virus by putting in mandatory quarantine from affected regions, be they China, Italy, Iran or wherever.
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Essentially our chief public health official's focus on keeping Canadians safe got blurred by other considerations -- considerations which had some validity but, in the end, contributed to her making the wrong call.
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On the issue of face masks, the WHO is all over the place. In 2019, the WHO expert panel RECOMMENDED FACE MAKSKS for the full public in the event of a severe pandemic (see chart). But during COVID-19 crises, WHO has generally downplayed need for public to have facemasks.
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The WHO seems confused on face masks. Tam has been consistent in following new WHO policy, but is that policy right? WHO didn't think so in 2019. Taiwan and numerous countries have make face masks use.
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And, again, if your job is above all else to keep Canadians safe and healthy, why not error from the start on side of caution and push for face masks, citing WHO 2019 report as your evidence when questioned/criticized.
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At the start of this crises, in late January, Dr. Tam said predicted we'd only have "rare cases" in Canada. This was evidently based on lies from China about nature of outbreak. I don't put this on Tam. It was indeed difficult to make the right calls. Most nations failed.
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But I do blame her for putting political considerations ahead of public health on the issue of border controls, and worry she might engage in this kind of flawed decision-making process again. I've lost confidence in her.
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The final issue is about medical supplies, which is mainly a provincial responsibility, but the feds do have a National Stockpile. Did Dr. Tam do a good job preparing that stockpile? I can't say. But there are major questions about this.
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