Editor:
Pareto’s principle loosely states that 80 per cent of results can be attributed to 20 per cent of the efforts. What if we targeted our approach to the COVID crisis – focusing on protecting our most vulnerable instead of broad sweeping destructive restrictions?
Recently, the government of Alberta announced a four-week minimum shut down of restaurants, bars, gyms, recreation centres, libraries etc., because the high rate of COVID cases in care homes. That is the equivalent of amputating my leg because I have a tooth ache.
Politicians like to make out as if this is more tricky than it is.
If 80 per cent of the harm is happening in care homes, then target your efforts there.
Isolate the vulnerable and liberate the rest of us. Slap some trailers in the parking lots of the care homes – everyone going in out of the facilities has to quarantine in the trailers and test negative repeatedly before going in or out.
Pay the staff a king’s ransom for their work and the inconvenience. Make provisions for family to be able to go in and out through the same process as staff – ask them to pitch in and volunteer with the care.
Out in our communities, recruit low risk members of the population to help bring food and supplies to those quarantined at home.
Not only would a targeted approach aimed at the most vulnerable be more effective at saving lives, it would also minimize the impact on the physical, mental and financial health of the vast majority of the population.
For most of us, the health impacts of the current restrictions are far more destructive than the prospect of catching COVID.
Javier Durovic,
Canmore
