Poll shows more than 20% of Canadian households have reported a COVID infection since Dec. 1

New data from Angus Reid Institute (ARI) has revealed that one in five Canadians has reported a COVID-19 infection in their households since December 1. 

The latest information from the non-profit polling agency provides new data on how widespread the Omicron Variant of COVID-19 might be. 

Angus Reid said data also estimated the incidence of COVID-19 among individuals during that same period. 

Approximately one in five households (21 per cent) have had at least one case of COVID-19 positivity since Dec. 1, 2021. 

"A considerable portion of these positive tests (36 per cent) – self-reported by respondents in this survey – came just after the holiday season, in the first two weeks of January, while 42 per cent occurred in December," said Angus Reid in a news release issued Monday. 

Overall, nine per cent of Canadians said they have received a positive test – either at home or at a testing centre – for COVID-19 since December 1, said the data. 

In that same time period, the polling also reported incidence of COVID-19 among individuals overall with nine per cent of Canadians saying they have received a positive test – either at home or at a testing centre.

In addition to this Angus Reid estimates that an additional five per cent of Canadians have been infected during that period, based on an analysis of the number of self-reported symptoms, and the positivity rate among those with similar symptom profiles who were tested.

"Notably, this 14 per cent aligns closely with the number of Canadians who say they are “almost certain” that they have had COVID-19 in the past two months, added to those who have a positive test confirmed, said the polling agency.

Among some of the other key findings in the latest poll is that almost all (94 per cent) of the unvaccinated respondents believe a COVID-19 infection for them would be mild or manageable. Meanwhile, one-in-five (18 per cent) of those with a booster shot worry an infection for them would be serious or deadly, more than the number of those with two doses who believe the same.