Explore the results from B.C.'s two public health surveys on COVID-19.
BC COVID-19 Survey on Population Experiences, Action and Knowledge (SPEAK) is an annual survey that asked British Columbia (B.C.) residents to share their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. The results look at risk perception and the broader impacts of COVID-19, which include social, economic, physical health, mental wellness and community resiliency.
The findings provide valuable insights into how British Columbians experienced the pandemic and how those experiences changed over time.
The COVID-19 SPEAK dashboard is an interactive web tool to publicly share the results from the surveys. Results are available across B.C. and at regional levels.
Open the technical notes (PDF)
See the dashboard
Approximately 200,000 people from across the province lent their voice to the second BC COVID-19 SPEAK survey in April and May 2021. The survey was held at a time when many British Columbians became eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and during the third wave of COVID-19 in B.C.
The survey asked about the ongoing challenges facing British Columbians and about our future. Public health professionals and others are using the results to inform BC’s recovery from the pandemic.
Read a summary of the Round 2 results (PDF).
See the dashboard
Almost 400,000 British Columbians participated in the first survey, held in May 2020. The survey asked BC residents about their experience, knowledge and actions early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The results looked at risk perception and the impact of COVID-19 during the first months of the pandemic.
Public health, government, and community stakeholders used the results to inform public health guidance such as the return to in-class learning for Kindergarten to grade 12 students.
Thank you to all British Columbians who participated in the SPEAK surveys, and for your continued efforts to help protect the health of yourself and fellow British Columbians.
We are grateful to the
BCCDC Foundation for Public Health for the financial support of this survey and dashboard.
The dashboards are built on the Tableau platform. You will need to use one of the follow web browsers:
- Chrome on Windows, Mac, and Android
- Microsoft Edge on Windows
- Mozilla Firefox & Firefox ESR on Windows and Mac
- Apple Safari on Mac and iOS 11.3 or later
The data are used by public health, government and community stakeholders to inform the prioritization and targeting of public health interventions, practices, and policies as we move toward recovery in the short and long term.
Some examples include:
- modelling the impact of the pandemic and restart plan
- improving health care access including appropriateness and effectiveness of increased virtual health access
- increasing support and initiatives to improve mental health and societal resiliency
- prioritizing support and initiatives for population segments more disproportionally affected, for example households with school-age children and young adults
- informing reopening plans, including safe return to school for K-12 and resuming in-person post-secondary education
- informing recovery priorities in supporting the health and well-being of young adults aged 18-29 years and their communities across B.C.
In accordance with Indigenous data governance practices in B.C., data from Indigenous respondents is provided to the First Nations Health Authority and Metis Nation B.C. to determine how best to use the data in planning and engaging Indigenous communities across the province.
We asked about a range of socio-demographic questions like education, income, and ethnicity. This helps makes sure the survey represents BC's population. As our background and circumstances influence our experiences of health and well-being. This information helps public health meet the needs of our diverse population.
All voluntary surveys include some selection bias. This means some populations or groups are more likely to take part than others. We adjust the results as best we can to be more representative. This includes outreach and post-collection weighting. Weighting means the answers of groups who participated less are ‘dialled up’. Please see the
technical notes (PDF) for more details.
Please see the
technical notes (PDF) on this page for more information. Appendix 1 includes indicator definitions, methods and analysis, data suppression, survey limitations and socio-demographic details. Appendix 2 includes detailed indicator definitions. Not all areas are shown in the dashboard due to data suppression (see
technical notes (PDF)).
This is due to data suppression in several communities across BC. Please see the
technical notes (PDF) for more details.
There is a large dataset behind the dashboard and it takes a while to run.
Region, sub-region, and community borders do not necessarily follow municipal boundaries. For in-depth geographic comparisons please use the
downloadable dataset (Excel).
Send your questions to
covid19.speak@bccdc.ca.
Safeguards are in place to ensure your privacy. Data collected in the COVID-19 survey follows strict privacy practices under the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The act governs how your information is collected, who sees it and how the information is used.
