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.
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.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
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