Nova Scotia has been surveying residents about the pandemic since 2020. Here’s what it learned

An expert on COVID-19 stigma says polls conducted for the government of Nova Scotia during the pandemic should be used to better address public health gaps.

As of fall 2020, the province has spent approximately $150,000 on public opinion research that “creates a snapshot of what Nova Scotians thought, felt and did regarding COVID-19”.

The poll covers topics such as awareness of public health advice and compliance, vaccine hesitancy and the level of concern people have about the pandemic.

CBC News obtained the survey “debriefs” via an information access request.

Robert Huish, an associate professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, reviewed the documentation, which consisted of detailed explanations and slides. Huish’s expertise includes global health ethics and COVID-19 stigma.

“The goal of public health is to take care of everyone,” Huish said.

“It doesn’t matter what your political stance or creed or background or history is… and what I think those reports show is that there is definitely a population that doesn’t belong.”

The documents refer several times to vulnerable persons.

A statement from Communications Nova Scotia defined vulnerable people as those who had not been vaccinated or planned to be vaccinated, as well as the “less than one in ten” Nova Scotia they say were not following the news about COVID-19 (Spring 2021 ).

“We considered those Nova Scotians to be ‘more vulnerable’ than other Nova Scotians (and ‘further away from us and from each other’), because they were not part of the major groups being vaccinated/planned to be vaccinated, as well as the following news and is often given public health advice,” the statement said.

Huish said Nova Scotia was a world leader because of its early approach to the pandemic, but the polls should be used to do more research on how to improve.

“It is admitted that there are parts of the county and communities in the county that have not only been more at risk because of COVID, but have become increasingly vulnerable as these policies and protocols came out,” he said.

“And I believe these are communities that they recognized were at risk of disinformation, for example.”

Statement Health and Welfare

In a statement, the Department of Health and Welfare said the poll helped “meet Nova Scotians where they are, practice evidence-based decision-making and evaluate our progress, especially in marketing and communications.”

“Epidemiological surveillance informs public health guidelines and how best to respond to public health situations such as disease outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

On June 15, the province said 869 Nova Scotians have died from COVID-19.

The province’s research also shows that vaccine hesitant/resistant Nova Scotians were:

• More likely to be members of low-income households.
• More likely to have a high school education than post-secondary education.

Vaccines have been proven to reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death.

The county said 84.8 percent of eligible residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 81.5 percent have completed their primary series.

“Nova Scotia has one of the highest vaccination rates, but it also has a very strong and committed group of people who refused the vaccine,” Huish said.

“I think you’re looking at a small but very committed group that didn’t want to pursue the COVID vaccine.”

Huish said the province should talk to people who have not been vaccinated to better understand their decision.

“They’re still our friends, they’re still our neighbors,” he said.

“They have stories, they have reasons. And that’s the tricky thing about public health, is you have to include everyone in your mandate, so that means listening to those who are sometimes unwilling to take recommended advice.”

The poll also looked at people’s concerns about COVID-19. The “fear factor” reached a record low average of 4.1 out of 10 in the latest poll (Winter 2023). The record was 6.5, which was recorded in fall 2020 and spring 2021, according to Communications Nova Scotia.

The latest poll shows that while “Older Nova Scotians, persons with disabilities, women and members of low-income households continue to be more concerned about COVID-19 than younger and middle-aged Nova Scotians, persons without disabilities, men and members of middle- and high-income households.”

It called this an important reminder of the unequal impact of the pandemic and said it is evidence of health inequality.

Read the findings of the province’s COVID-19 investigation below.