Informing and overcoming: Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang’s personal pandemic pivot
Her deliberate and methodical approach to navigating the pandemic has become familiar to Waterloo region residents.
What most people don’t know is Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang dreaded the spotlight and pushed aside her fear of public speaking to handle the public health crisis.
In an interview with CTV Kitchener, Dr. Wang explained she had a stutter growing up.
“People would hang up on me,” she said. “I couldn't get the words out over the phone. In person, they would walk away. You know they'd find it very funny and laugh.”
She said she never expected she’d end up having to speak publicly on a daily basis.
“That would have just scared me out of my mind,” she said.
Despite still struggling with a stutter, the demands of the pandemic overshadowed her speech concerns.
“It helped focus my energy on things I thought people would appreciate even if I wasn’t very smooth at speaking,” she explained.
A BREAKING POINT
Dr. Wang said for the first year of the pandemic, she regularly worked 16 to 18 hours per day.
“It was a difficult and unsustainable pace to be honest,” she said.
She said her breaking point came when Waterloo Region was not getting its fair share of the COVID-19 vaccine last year during the initial rollout.
“I didn’t even see it coming, but I broke down,” she said.
“I felt kind of like ‘I don’t know what to do,’” she continued. “With help from others I got over that.”
Asking for help and taking a break were things Dr. Wang said she had to adjust to.
“What I’ve discovered is that people want to help and those that are able to will,” she said.
Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang and her husband pose with a replica Millennium Falcon. (Submitted)
“If I don't take a real break, my brain will take a fake one and then I will be of no use to anybody,” she said, adding by overworking herself, she’s also setting a poor example.
Frequently during the pandemic, Dr. Wang thought of her late mentor Dr. Sheela Basrur. As Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Basrur led the province through the SARS crisis. She went on to become Ontario’s medical officer of health from 2004 to 2006.
“What I learned from Dr. Basrur the most was the importance of trying to do the right thing and having integrity… the other things will fall into place,” Dr. Wang said.
Dr. Basrur died of cancer at the age of 51 in 2008 at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre in Kitchener.
“I have thought about what would Sheela do? How did she do in the past? And what can I learn from that,” said Dr. Wang.
LEARNING TO REST
Now, when she wants to escape, Dr. Wang says she turns to some of her favourite TV shows or movies.
“I am a big Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe Geek,” she said. “My favourite show recently has been the Mandalorian and as my colleagues know I'm a big baby Yoda fan.”
Her husband also recently encouraged her to get into cycling, which she has come to enjoy.
LOOKING AHEAD
While she said it's still essential people continue to adhere to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Wang believes the emergency phase of the pandemic is over. She considers this time a “breather period” and a chance to catch up on other public health issues, like childhood immunizations, that have been on pause.
“There's always work that we have to do, but yeah we are trying to pace ourselves,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.