Breaking Canadians: Health Care, Advocacy, and the Toll of COVID-19

“Breaking Canadians provides a unique yet comprehensive assessment of Canada’s response to its awful COVID-19 pandemic. By capturing the words and feelings of diverse actors, including patients, disability advocates, healthcare providers and other health professionals, the readers will gain insights on the different stages of an unfolding public health tragedy. In addition to documenting an important piece of North American history, Breaking Canadians offers important lessons for responses to future pandemics.” Peter Hotez, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine

“Breaking Canadians focuses an unflinching gaze on the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps its most devastating revelation is that scientists concluded within the first two months that the virus spread by aerosol transmission, not by droplets or dirty groceries. Yet our governments serially dropped masking requirements, avoided installing air filters, and withheld crucial data from the public. We should all read this book and reflect.” Jan Wong, journalist and author of Red China Blues and Apron Strings

“This is an important and essential analysis of something we are collectively denying and repressing – the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, Former Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario, Member of the Order of Canada, and Minister at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre for Faith, Justice, and the Arts

“These unique voices tell stories from the home, the schools, and the bedsides chronicling a litany of suffering, neglect, and outright public health negligence. Breaking Canadians is a rallying call to ensure we fix what is broken in our public health care system.” Cathy Crowe, long-time street nurse, C.M.

“The story of Canada’s experience with – and response to – COVID-19 is only now starting to be written. Every one of us has a valid perspective. But the recollections of those prominently on the front lines of medical treatment, outbreak management, patient advocacy, and public engagement are, to my mind, the most useful. Breaking Canadians is a collection of perspectives from prominent Canadian patient advocates whose names became well known during the pandemic. The essays are not dry academic expositions, but rather personal evocations embracing a host of accessible emotions – most commonly frustration and disappointment. But sprinkled here and there are seeds of hope, as kernels of policy insight also emerge to answer that all important question: what do we do next?” Raywat Deonandan, Epidemiologist and Professor, University of Ottawa

“Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth has been a fierce, unwavering, and courageous advocate for the well-being of patients and citizens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In Breaking Canadians, she has assembled dozens of Canadian voices that must be heard to appreciate the ongoing burden of the worst public health event in living memory. From the testimonies of those most affected, to the contributions of advocates and scholars, Breaking Canadians documents how very much has gone wrong and illuminates a path forward towards greater public safety, equity, and respectful engagement.” Robert Maunder, Chair in Health and Behaviour, Sinai Health, and Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto