Article content
As COVID-19 cases start to increase in Alberta at a faster rate than much of the rest of Canada, a University of Calgary infectious disease specialist says many are starting to experience “pandemic fatigue” and becoming less diligent in following public-health practices.
On Thursday and Friday, Alberta recorded single-day jumps in novel coronavirus cases reaching into the triple-digits, the first time that had happened since May 2. Dr. Vanessa Meier-Stephenson said the case numbers are of concern, and increased activity is making it more difficult to pinpoint where the virus is spreading.
She points to two alarming trends that suggest some complacency by Albertans: the majority of new cases in the past week have an unknown source of transmission (60 per cent) and are under 40 years old (54 per cent).
“If someone has visited a grocery store and eaten out several times and then maybe was out at the beach over the weekend or at group gatherings, we can’t know at what point they may have become infected, or they may have infected others,” Meier-Stephenson said.
