The Sudbury man infected with COVID-19 was not infectious while at a major mining conference in Toronto, so couldn’t have infected anyone with whom he came in contact, Dr. Penny Sutcliffe told Sudbury.com this afternoon.
The man, an employee with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines who works out of the Willet Green Miller Centre on the Laurentian University campus, went to Health Sciences North on March 7 with a cough and shortness of breath, three days after returning from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Public Health said he travelled to Toronto in his own vehicle on March 1. He attended PDAC March 2-3, then drove home March 4. He went to work at the Willet Green Miller Centre on March 5 and March 6, and went to the emergency department on March 7. He was tested and sent home in isolation.
His test came back as positive on the evening of March 10.
Sutcliffe said Public Health has been receiving many calls from community members who attended PDAC and are worried that they could have been infected by the man, since, as a fellow Sudbury delegate, they may have had close contact with him at the conference.
Sutcliffe said evidence suggests COVID-19 is not contagious until an infected person shows symptoms. Erring on the side of caution, public health agencies are assuming infected people can be contagious on the day before symptoms appear.
If that is the case, the local man “couldn’t pose a risk to the public until he got home.” Since he did go to work on the Laurentian University campus while he was symptomatic, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines has closed the Willet Green Miller Centre and, due to its location on campus, the school will be conducting all classes remotely until further notice.
Community spread
Sutcliffe said right now, the city only has a single case of COVID-19 and health officials have detailed information on his movements and interactions. When a person tests positive for COVID-19, a thorough exploration of that person’s movements, where they went and who they came in contact with is done.
What’s termed “community spread” is not being seen in the Greater Sudbury area, Sutcliffe said. What this means is, cases of infection that appear to be spontaneous with no clear link between the infected (as would be seen during flu season for instance) are not being seen.
Because there is no evidence of community spread, there is no need for the average person to practice “social distancing”, that is avoiding large crowds and events where many people are put in close proximity to one another.
That’s why Public Health Sudbury is not advising people to avoid sporting events, concerts or other public events.
“When we can’t make those connections (between infected people), that’s when we’re seeing community spread,” Sutcliffe said. “And that’s when it’s time to start social distancing.”
The best advice now, the region’s top doc said, is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and use tissues when necessary. And if you’re sick, stay home and avoid public places.
Health Sciences North has protocols in place at this time, as well.
“If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call Telehealth Ontario or Public Health Sudbury and Districts,” HSN said in a news release. “If you’re coming to the Emergency Department at HSN, please call ahead to 705-523-7100 and describe your symptoms and your travel history, including the countries you recently visited.”
If you need immediate medical attention, phone 911 and mention your travel history and symptoms, said HSN.
Patients entering the HSN Emergency Department are asked to follow the instructions in the signage posted outside hospital doors related to COVID-19.
“There is also active screening for patients at the entrance to the Emergency Department,” HSN said. “You may be asked to wear a mask while waiting for or receiving treatment to prevent the spread of illness.”
If you plan to visit a patient in the hospital and you are not feeling well, you are asked to stay home.
“At this time, the virus is not circulating locally. However, this is a rapidly changing situation requiring that our organization, community, and individuals be prepared for the potential wider spread of the infection in the community.”
Critical information regarding HSN’s operations for patients, visitors and staff will be communicated via its social media channels, as well as its website at hsnsudbury.ca as needed.
VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.
Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”
Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
