Tuesday February 25, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
BC is preparing for all possibilities that may occur regarding COVID-19 transmission and infection in the coming weeks, including the possibility of a pandemic, it was stated by BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in British Columbia:
Meanwhile, all BC patients with COVID-19 continue to recover in isolation at home and under care by public-health teams, the PHO told media today.
In total, seven people in BC have tested positive for COVID-19. The first individual has recovered, as indicated by the resolution of symptoms, followed by two successive negative test results 24 hours apart. The patient in the Fraser Health region is isolated at home, but a letter to all families in school districts in the area has parents on edge because the particular school or even the city in the large Fraser Health area within the BC Lower Mainland has not been identified.
“Privacy keeps everybody safe, and that’s why we’re going to continue to protect people’s privacy as much as possible,” said Minister Dix in a news conference. Dr Henry says that school would probably be “targeted” if the school were identified.
On the broader picture: “In recent days, we have seen an increasing number of countries around the world with a growing number of cases,” said Dr Henry. “While the risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia remains low at this time, we are watching the global evolution of COVID-19 carefully and are focusing efforts on containing the spread of COVID-19 in BC and in Canada.”
“We are preparing for all possibilities that may occur in the coming weeks, including the possibility of a pandemic. A pandemic is the spread of an illness to a large number of people on a global scale,” said Dr Henry.
“We are asking people to do their part in making sure they prevent transmission of infections to others in our communities and in our health-care system to best protect everyone in BC,” she said.
The most important measures people can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, are cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and staying home and away from others if you are sick, it was stated in the release.
In the community, some behaviours are changing… such as greeting people with an elbow bump instead of a handshake. In some cases, large gatherings might be cancelled.
For international travellers who return to BC, the PHO says those people should monitor themselves and their children closely for symptoms. “If any symptoms arise, limit their contact with others and connect with their primary-care provider, local public health office, or call 811 to determine if COVID-19 testing is needed. This is an important way to reduce the possibility of transmission of illness to others.”
Things are moving fast now. It was just yesterday that Dr Henry said: “The risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia continues to remain low at this time,” said Dr Henry. “We are watching recent global developments very closely and will continue to adapt our response to developing evidence and ongoing assessment of COVID-19 should it be required. We will notify the public if the measures in BC change.”
The number of cases worldwide is growing. The attempted containment within China has not been successful. According to the World Health Organization today, confirmed cases are now in 37 countries (as of 1 am Pacific Time February 25), seen as 2,918 cases and 43 deaths. Outside of China the highest level of infection is in South Korea (1,261 cases / 12 deaths). In Europe the highest level of infection is in Italy (322 cases / 11 deaths). In the Middle East, the highest number of cases is in Iran, with 95 confirmed cases and 15 deaths. There are 53 cases in the United States (no deaths), and 10 cases in Canada (no deaths).
Some health experts in Canada say that a pandemic should be prepared for now, something that WHO is avoiding to articulate as it practices ‘health diplomacy’ with China, for all the obvious reasons.
Air Canada has now suspended all direct flights from Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto airports to mainland China until April 10.
==== LINKS:
Technical detail and updates on COVID-19 on Twitter
@CDCofBC or at BC Centre for Disease Control
For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_Coronavirus_Recommendations.pdf