Monday, February 7, 2022 – Thunder Bay COVID-19 Update

146 Lab-Confirmed Cases

THUNDER BAY – COVID-19 Update – The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is reporting 146 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the district. There are now a reported 283 active lab-confirmed cases.

49 people are in hospital, and of that 10 are in the Intensive Care Unit.

With only lab-confirmed cases the true scope of COVID-19 in the district is difficult to assess and determine.

Mental Health Issues?

A survey by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario indicates that one in four people (24 per cent) have sought help for their mental health challenges, a significant uptick from 17 per cent last winter and nine per cent almost two years ago.

The data also shows that while people have had their ups and downs, their levels of mental health distress are similar to the start of the pandemic. This is particularly true with rates of stress, anxiety and depression.

Substance use is also roughly the same as the start of the pandemic, where one in four Ontarians are still consuming more alcohol, cannabis or tobacco.

Respondents’ outlook about the future of mental health is grim: 77 per cent, up from 69 per cent when the pandemic began, feel that Ontario is on track for a “serious mental health crisis when this is over.”

“We’ve conducted four polls during this pandemic because we wanted to get a sense of how people are doing nearly two years in,” said Camille Quenneville, CEO, CMHA Ontario. “Needless to say we’re very concerned that the numbers are going in the wrong direction and people are not improving.”

While it is a positive sign that one in four people are seeking help, the survey indicates that Ontarians are not finding the supports as effective as at the start of the pandemic.

About 65 per cent are now reporting that mental health supports are helpful, down from 77 per cent near the beginning of COVID-19.

“This is troubling as it may be an indicator that people’s mental health challenges are more complex than they might’ve thought,” said Quenneville. “Many people might be saying they’re fine but that’s not what we’re seeing in the data.”

“We will continue to monitor these trends because, as we know, mental health is a continuum and people’s moods and feelings can change with a return to normalcy,” she said.