Build back more equitably: CMAJ

ABSTRACT

Patrick discuss an article by by Persaud and colleagues which present guidance for policy-making as Canada begins to negotiate the long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic emphasized the harms of social inequities in Canada, and the authors' recommendations call for the post-COVID-19 recovery to centre the principle of equity. Although one might imagine that all people are equally susceptible to a novel virus, it's become clear that some are at much higher risk of infection and death than others, owing to their circumstances. The pandemic has brought huge economic costs to individuals and governments. It may be tempting to think that restoring the economy to health should be governments' top priority before further spending on social safety nets, but failing to prioritize strengthening the fragile social systems in the short term would be a serious mistake.