It seems to me that one scourge does not wait several years for another. Here in the United States we kill each other, we contaminate each other, we poison each other. Worse still, we let ourselves down and isolate ourselves to the point of getting sick. Warning to lonely hearts!
Scientists have warned us that it is only a matter of time before a global health crisis hits us. Still, the virulence of the COVID-19 pandemic has left us stunned: over 1.33 million deaths in the United States; nearly 18,000 in Quebec; seven million worldwide.
The consequences are far from being felt. Entire sectors of the economy have faltered and are still struggling to get back on track. By bringing all students together, those school years will be wasted by closing schools. However, let’s be honest, we’ve moved on to something else.
The Americans are also somewhere else. When asked last week about the top public health threats, just under 3% named COVID-19 as one of their priorities. Instead, armed violence has risen to the forefront of their concerns.
A record that is shameful
Montreal this week saw its eighth and ninth murders since the start of the year, staggering numbers. Sadly, for half the population of the city of Washington, there are only 85 homicides left. Yesterday, on the 139th day of the year, 227 mass shootings were recorded across the United States. We’re approaching two a day, a worrying record.
Another deplorable toll is the number of victims of drug and drug overdoses: almost 110,000 deaths in 2022 alone.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often mixed with stimulants and other drugs, acts like a real grim reaper. Three out of four overdose deaths are due to synthetic opioids.
DON’T LET ME DIE ALONE!
Earlier this month, the top public health official in the United States, the “Surgeon General,” as he is known, sounded the alarm about another health risk facing his compatriots: loneliness. A Department of Health study shows that nearly half of Americans feel lonely or isolated.
With physical consequences as real as thirst and hunger: a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia.
Specifically, according to Dr. Vivek H. Murthy living in solitude is as deadly a health risk as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. In his eyes, this is undoubtedly the latest public health epidemic. The Beatles asked Eleanor Rigby (already!) 57 years ago, “All the lonely people, where are they all from?” be.
Top public health threats in the United States
- Armed force: 26%
- Opioids/Fentanyl: 25%
- obesity : 20%
- Cancer : 8th %
- Smoking: 3%
- Traffic accidents : 3%
- COVID-19: 3%
- Alcoholism: 3%
Loneliness, a real epidemic
- 29%: Increased risk of premature mortality due to social isolation.
- 32%: Increased risk of stroke due to poor social relationships and loneliness.
- 50%: The increased risk of developing dementia exists among older people who live in chronic loneliness.
- 70%: The decrease in time young people aged 15-24 spend with friends since the start of the pandemic.
