Alberta's Top Doctor Says COVID-19 'Shame' Makes People Less Likely To Get Tested

Dr. Deena Hinshaw updated the public on the state of COVID-19 in Alberta on Thursday, August 20. 

During the update, she said she was worried about something she keeps hearing from people who are testing positive in the province: shame. She said people are feeling ashamed of testing positive or even getting tested. 

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Shame is an emotion that drives people to hide or to cover up what they are ashamed of.

Dr. Hinshaw 

"The more that COVID drives shame, the harder it will be to prevent," she continued. 

She urged Albertans to be compassionate with people who test positive and support people who have symptoms in staying home and away from others.

She said that it might be easy to feel “frustrated or even angry if our lives are disrupted further by an exposure to COVID from someone in our circle.” Though, she chalked many of the cases in Alberta up to “a series of unfortunate events.”