By David P. Ball

Although very few cases of COVID-19 appear to have hit the Downtown Eastside (DTES) so far in the pandemic, an infectious disease expert who's worked in the neighbourhood for many years warns that the coast is not yet clear — and he is studying why there have been surprisingly few cases here.

That's particularly the case because of the disproportionately vulnerable populations that call the area home, with high levels of extreme poverty, illicit substance use and substandard, crowded housing.

Dr. Brian Conway, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, is now researching what exactly may account for the low case-count in the DTES, and whether it's luck, better preparation and prevention measures, or something else.

But with marchers in Vancouver marking International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday with two events in the DTES, Dr. Conway said the extreme and "truly tragic" death toll from contaminated opioids that surged during the pandemic is a devastating example of "collateral damage."

More, he said, needs to be done as the province braces for a predicted second wave of the virus as society and schools re-open this month — in particular to ensuring that COVID-19 testing services become available to DTES residents who have less access to transportation and public health information.