#COVID-19: BC has a different distribution of positive cases but a screening scheme to AL, ON, QC!

COVID-19: British Columbia has a different distribution of positive cases but a screening scheme similar to that of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec: why?

It is ideal to evaluate the policies quantitatively &during the process. In the absence of results, the decisions of peer decision-makers can be the point of comparison.

The distribution of the frequency of tests conducted (left) and reported positive cases (right) from Jan 31 to May 25, 2020, in different provinces is illustrated. These two variables are interlinked & should follow a similar trend in the different provinces.

The graph on the left indicates that the distribution of tests conducted in BC (Skewness .132) is relatively close to that of the other populous provinces of AL, ON, & QC (.170, .234 and .695, respectively). The graph on the right shows that the direction & extent of the distribution of positive case detection in British Columbia (-.146) differ from AB, ON & QC (0.216, 0.488 and 0.410, respectively).

This means that, despite a different distribution of positive cases in BC, no different screening policy was adopted, but why? This study is unable to conclude why, or even whether it is appropriate to have a different one. Elaborating on this issue can be useful if &when we approach the second wave.

Reza Afshari; PhD