By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
In so many ways, COVID-19 is affecting everyone’s physical, emotional and mental well-being.
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit is looking to get a handle on this change in our lives with an anonymous survey open to residents of the HKPR region who are aged 18 and older.
The confidential and anonymous survey runs through early next month, the press release said, and can be found at www.hkpr.on.ca/covid-19/
Epidemiologist Andrew Harris said that it’s important to learn who is being affected, where and to what extent.
“This survey is designed to paint a clearer picture of how COVID-19 is affecting our communities so that the health unit can be better informed and able to more effectively respond to pandemic challenges and concerns.”
The survey, which must be done in one session, takes about 15 to 20 minutes. It asks about the impact of COVID-19 in terms of mental health, stress, economic disruption and other criteria. It also has questions about people’s personal protective behaviours during the pandemic (such as mask use and hand hygiene) and overall attitudes towards the seriousness of COVID-19 and how well public health is responding.
“We encourage everyone, whether young adult or older adults, urban or rural, single or parents with children, to complete the survey,” Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Foundational Services Fiona Kelly said.
“This type of local data gathering is essential to develop evidence-based programs and services that can assist the health unit and other organizations respond effectively to the current and lasting effects of COVID-19 on our community.”
This kind of information-gathering initiative is a tool the health unit has used for almost two decades, participating (for example) in the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research at York University on behalf of the local health unit. These results have been useful in planning programs and improving services.
The COVID-19 on-line survey is part of RRFSS, which normally runs as a monthly phone survey in which local residents are asked information about their health behaviours, knowledge and attitudes. Due to COVID-19, RRFSS had been on hold since March.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
