Thursday March 5, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC
West Shore Voice News
There are now 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in BC, with eight of those being new cases announced this afternoon March 5, 2020 by BC Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry.
It was announced at today’s joint news conference that one of the eight new cases is not known to be a result of travel or close known contact with a family or household member who has travelled. This is leading toward ‘community spread’, with broader implications for an increase in incidence of infection within the community.
Early cases had already been self-isolating, said Dr Henry today. “As we test and monitor (during regular influenza checks) some will become positive,” she said.
“International travel right now is a risk,” said Dr Henry today.
Scientists and public health officials are observing that the virus is most easily spread in large droplets by way of direct personal contact, but the virus can also live on surfaces for a number of hours (may vary depending on the surface — i.e. metal, plastic, cardboard, cloth, etc.) and therefore community spread is both possible and happening.
People will want to be more careful about exposure when out shopping (e.g. use wipes on grocery carts), and maintain a distance of one metre from anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Do not go out if you feel ill in any way; Dr Henry says there’s a ‘low threshold’ for making that decision.
It is now recommended to not greet people with a handshake but instead to elbow-bump, nod, or just smile and make eye contact. Use of tissues is preferred if you need to sneeze or cough (and then dispose of them properly and right away); sneezes ‘into your bent elbow’ is no longer recommended as there can be transmission of possibly-infected droplets into fabric where the virus can survive for several days.
BC Public Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry said today that there are 21 cases in BC, with eight of those being new today. One of the new cases was discovered during routine influenza testing for someone who sought medical help with flu-like symptoms; that person is visiting from Seattle.
All confirmed cases of COVID-19 in BC are in the Lower Mainland (wider Vancouver) area, specifically the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions. All were confirmed positive based on BC Centre for Disease Control testing. So far there are no confirmed cases on Vancouver Island, said Dr Henry today.
“Cases 14, 15, 16 and 17 are close contacts of case 10. They are a man in his 20s, a man in his 30s, a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 60s,” said Dr Henry in the afternoon news conference held at 3:30 pm at the BC Legislature press theatre.
“Cases 18 and 19 are a woman in her 50s and a man in his 60s who reside in a single household. They recently returned from Iran,” she said.
“Case 20 is a woman in her 50s who frequently travels to Metro Vancouver from the Seattle, Washington area. She is staying with family in the Fraser Health region.”
“Case 21 is a woman in her 50s with no recent travel history who resides in the Fraser Health region.” This is the case where community spread may be evident.
“Four B.C. patients have now fully recovered and one patient remains in critical condition in care at hospital. The remaining individuals with COVID-19 are in isolation at home with support and monitoring from public health teams.”
“Public health teams continue to identify and notify close contacts of all active cases. They will be supported to self-isolate for 14 days and are being monitored for symptoms.”
“We are continuing widespread testing by screening British Columbians and travellers with symptoms, along with their close contacts, to identify cases of COVID-19 and take immediate action as we have seen today.”
Today BC Health Minister Adrian Dix said BC has conducted more tests for COVID-19 than any other province in Canada.
“BC is making our own preparations to ensure have the equipment we need, and I believe that we do,” said Minister Dix. He said that the federal minister of health had today (just ahead of the 3:30 pm news conference in BC) teleconferences with other health ministers across Canada to ensure that the health care equipment supply chain is intact and even enhanced.
Municipalities, school districts and organizations in Greater Victoria are in various levels of preparation and communication with their constituencies regarding things to do (e.g. sanitizing workplaces) and things that may change (e.g. cancellation of events). [Further news on this in a separate article March 5, link to come]
====== LINKS:
==== BC CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL | BC HEALTH:
For recommendations on
protecting yourself and your community, visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
For more information and latest updates on Twitter @CDCofBC or visit the centre’s website: http://www.bccdc.ca/
For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_Coronavirus_Recommendations.pdf
==== ROLE OF MEDIA: The WHO articulated in a report on February 26 about the role of media: “Yours is a critical role. This is the time for accurate reporting from official sources. Your role in an outbreak is not simply to chase the story; it is to perform a public service. Your actions are public health actions in every respect. You play a significant part in protecting the health and well-being of your fellow citizens,” it was stated by Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. | Editorial by West Shore Voice News on communications effectiveness during the COVID-19 Pandemic (see page 2 in the February 28 to March 2, 2020 weekend digest of West Shore Voice News)
==== PANDEMIC: “While the risk of spread of COVID-19 within British Columbia remains low at this time, we continue to focus efforts on containing and delaying the spread of transmission, as well as preparing for 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 on February 29.
==== WILL YOU TRAVEL?: British Columbians with upcoming travel plans should continue to monitor the Government of Canada travel site for the latest travel advisories. Though today March 5, 2020 Dr Henry said that “international travel right now is a risk”.