Has staying home or not seeing friends for the past two months got you down? Were you scared to go to the hospital because of fears of COVID-19? Did closing your business or losing your job make your blood pressure spike?
If so, the province wants to know about it.
This week, B.C. launched an online survey open to all residents until May 31, which aims to gather information on how the pandemic – and B.C.’s response to it – has impacted people’s lives.
That includes some of the “unintended consequences” of everything from shuttering businesses and classrooms to cancellation of elective surgeries.
The online survey – which takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete – asks questions about how COVID-19 and the responses to it have affected people’s lives, families and futures.
Questions include whether you’ve experienced COVID-19-related illness, actions you’ve taken to prevent COVID-19, and the challenges you have faced during this pandemic and about your overall wellbeing.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix are urging everyone over 18 to take the survey.
The responses are part of what will guide the province in its pandemic response and its plan to loosen some restrictions and restart the economy in the months to come.
“We realize COVID-19 has touched the life of everyone in British Columbia and has required all of us to make sacrifices for the common good,” said Henry. “The information we gather through this survey will guide us as we chart our course through this pandemic, ensuring that we focus on the most effective prevention measures, minimize negative consequences, and support overall wellness.”
Those taking the survey have the option of doing so anonymously or providing their BC health number.
Those who wish can also indicate their interest in taking part in future blood serology tests to assess possible immunity to COVID-19 as well as an “early warning” system about possible transmission of the virus.
Overall results of the survey are expected in early summer and will be posted (without identifying information) on the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
To take the survey, find it on the BC Centre for Disease Control website here.
