Health

Canada's public health agency updates cautions in wake of mysterious virus outbreak in China – Ottawa Citizen

Published

5 years ago

January 19, 2020

Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by a mysterious SARS-like virus are being treated, in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province on January 18, 2020.

STR / AFP via Getty Images

The Public Health Agency of Canada has updated an advisory for travelers to Wuhan, China, in the wake of a outbreak of a mysterious virus that has killed two people and sickened dozens.

Chinese New Year begins on Jan. 25, and the number of travelers is expected to increase. The agency said risk to Canadians visiting Wuhan is low, but that precautions should be taken.

At Canadian border points, planned additional measures to be implemented over the coming week include messaging on arrivals screens at the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver international airports; reminding travelers from Wuhan to inform a border service officer if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms and an additional health screening question to be added to electronic kiosks said the public health agency in a statement

So far this month, two men in their 60s have died of respiratory failure in Wuhan in the outbreak of a pneumonia-like illness. The illness is a new strain of coronavirus, which is in the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Most cases have been linked to the Huanan Seafood Market (also known as Wuhan South China Seafood City and South China Seafood Wholesale Market), which was closed as of Jan. 1 for cleaning and disinfection. However, some cases have not been linked to this market and the source of the virus is still unknown, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Screening measures have been implemented at ports of entry in some neighbouring countries for passengers arriving from Wuhan. There have also been reports of people infected with coronavirus outside of China who had recently traveled to Wuhan.

The health agency’s notice to the Canadian public remains at a Level 1, which advises practising usual travel health precautions, such as routine vaccinations and reminders about the the importance of hand washing. Travelers to Wuhan are advised to take precautions against respiratory and other illnesses while traveling and seek medical attention if they become sick.

Travelers are also cautioned to avoid high-risk areas such as farms, live animal markets, and areas where animals may be slaughtered; avoid contact with animals, alive or dead, including pigs, chickens, ducks and wild birds; to avoid surfaces with animal droppings or secretions on them and to avoid contact with sick people, especially if they have fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

“Spending time in large crowds or crowded areas can increase your risk of getting sick,” according to a travel health notice from the agency, the federal body responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

In a statement sent in response to questions from this newspaper, the Public Health Agency said the risk to Canadians has been assessed as low because Canada has no direct flights from Wuhan and the volume of travelers arriving indirectly from Wuhan is low. Canada also has a number of standard border measures in place to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases into Canada, said the statement.

When a traveler shows signs and symptoms of an infectious disease upon arrival, Canada Border Services Agency officers or airport and airline staff can contact a quarantine officer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Typically, a border services officer, designated as a screening officer under the Quarantine Act, is the first point of contact and they will conduct a preliminary screening of the traveler based on criteria — such as fever or signs of fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, rash and other symptoms — developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The officer then performs a more detailed assessment by asking additional questions regarding the traveler’s symptoms and confirming information about the traveler’s country of origin and possible exposure to an infectious disease, said the Public Health Agency’s statement. If there is a potential public health risk, the quarantine officer may order the traveler to be transported to hospital, or to report to the local public health authority.

“Entry screening alone is not a guarantee against the possible importation of this new virus but is an important public health tool during periods of uncertainty and part of a multilayered government response strategy,” said the statement.

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Health

Tips for shopping for Medicare Advantage plans

Published

1 day ago

September 28, 2024

Anne Joseph

Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider.

People eligible for the federal government’s Medicare program will have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to sign up for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the program. They also can add a prescription drug plan to traditional Medicare coverage.

Many people on Medicare Advantage plans will probably have to find new coverage as major insurers cut costs and pull back from markets. Industry experts also predict some price increases for Medicare prescription drug plans.

Shoppers often have dozens of options during this sign-up period. Here are some things to consider.

Don’t put off shopping for Medicare coverage

Start thinking about next year’s coverage before the annual enrollment window begins. Insurers will usually preview their offerings or let customers know about any big changes. That makes anything arriving in the mail from your insurer important to read.

Insurance agents say many people wait until after Thanksgiving to decide coverage plans for the new year. That could be a mistake this year: The holiday falls on Nov. 28, leaving slightly more than a week to decide before the enrollment window closes.

Look beyond the premium

Many Medicare Advantage plans promote a $0 premium. That may sound attractive, but price is only one variable to consider.

Shoppers should look at whether their doctors are in the plan’s coverage network and how prescriptions would be covered. They also should know the maximum amount under the plan that they’d have to pay if a serious health issue emerges.

Plans offer many supplemental benefits, including help paying food or utility bills. Don’t let those distract from understanding the core coverage, said Danielle Roberts, co-founder of the Fort Worth, Texas, insurance agency Boomer Benefits.

“Remember that we buy health insurance for the big things, not the frills,” she said.

How to get help shopping for plans

The federal government operates a plan finder that lets people compare options. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program can be another resource. Insurance brokers or agents also guide customers through searches.

Sometimes a plan’s coverage doesn’t work as expected. If that happens, there’s another enrollment window in the first three-months of each year where some shoppers may be able to make a change.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Health

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here’s how to get them

Published

4 days ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can once again order COVID-19 tests, without being charged, sent straight to their homes.

The U.S. government reopened the program on Thursday, allowing any household to order up to four at-home COVID nasal swab kits through the website, covidtests.gov. The tests will begin shipping, via the United States Postal Service, as soon as next week.

The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 booster and their yearly flu shot.

“Before you visit with your family and friends this holiday season, take a quick test and help keep them safe from COVID-19,” U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a statement.

U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, they hope, forthcoming winter ones, too. Vaccine uptake is waning, however. Most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, but under a quarter of U.S. adults took last fall’s COVID-19 shot.

Using the swab, people can detect current virus strains ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season and the holidays. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost around $11, as of last year. Insurers are no longer required to cover the cost of the tests.

Before using any existing at-home COVID-19 tests, you should check the expiration date. Many of the tests have been given an extended expiration from the date listed on the box. You can check on the Food and Drug Administration’s website to see if that’s the case for any of your remaining tests at home.

Since COVID-19 first began its spread in 2020, U.S. taxpayers have poured billions of dollars into developing and purchasing COVID-19 tests as well as vaccines. The Biden administration has given out 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, including half distributed to households by mail. It’s unclear how many tests the government still has on hand.

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