B.C. has a plan of attack should COVID-19 spread, and it's not what you think
Credit to Author: Randy Shore| Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2020 23:51:41 +0000
As the world inches closer to a pandemic, surveillance for the COVID-19 coronavirus in B.C. is increasingly focused on slowing its spread to avoid overwhelming health facilities that are already dealing with a bad flu season.
“My mantra is ‘contain, delay, prepare,’” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. “We really need to focus on being prepared for broader transmission of this virus in our communities.”
The province’s influenza pandemic plan is an excellent template for a response to COVID-19 because of the similarities between the two respiratory illnesses.
“We need to make sure that we protect our healthcare system so that we can take care of people who have this disease, but everybody else too, because we are still going to have broken legs and heart attacks,” she said.
The goal is to delay the transmission of the disease through the community as long as possible in hopes of preventing a spike in COVID-19 cases that could overwhelm the system’s ability to deal with the most vulnerable patients.
“We need to stretch this out at least until the end of influenza season, because those people are already in our (intensive care units),” she said.
The province’s influenza pandemic plan is an excellent template for a response to COVID-19 because of the similarities between the two respiratory illnesses, says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
New cases of COVID-19 have been dropping in China for the past few weeks, although the illness has spread to more than 50 other countries.
“That’s good news and not unexpected,” she said. “A couple of weeks ago, we were really holding our breath to see if the measures that they put in place in China were actually working and this tells us that it is working.”
B.C. has been focused on detection — with a very low threshold for testing — and keeping sick people away from well people through the two-week incubation period of the disease.
As the illness spreads through the world, more cases may be inevitable.
“It is possible that there is transmission that we don’t know about … and there may be people importing it into our country,” she noted. “So, if it does start to spread widely in our communities, we need to be ready to manage as well.”
Mortality rates for COVID-19 are vertiginously high for the elderly — up to 14 per cent — but as the outbreak has stabilized in China, the death rate for people outside the epicentre of the outbreak has dipped to 0.7 to 0.9 per cent.
“So, that tells us it’s like a really bad flu season,” said Henry, noting the death rate for the 1918 Spanish flu was about two per cent and the seasonal flu is around 0.1 per cent.
“Young people seem relatively spared by this disease,” she said. “But there are vulnerable people who are more likely to have a serious illness and we need to be able to support them.”
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control and Henry’s office have issued guidance to school districts concerning COVID-19, advising parents to keep ill children home and to practise good hand hygiene.
Children should wash hands before leaving home and upon arrival at school, after using the toilet, breaks and sporting activities, before eating and again before they leave for home.
“Masks are not necessary for people who are not experiencing symptoms,” the advisory said. “In children in particular, masks can be irritating and may increase touching of the face and eyes, which increases the risk of infection.”
Parents are further advised to limit their children’s access to news stories about COVID-19 to prevent anxiety and to “reassure them they are safe.”
The Vancouver Emergency Management Agency is meeting regularly with city departments to monitor and update Vancouver’s response to the spread of the virus.
“Right now, Vancouver Coastal Health has said the risk remains low and the City of Vancouver will adjust our response based upon the organization’s recommendations,” the city said.
For now, staff are being reminded to wash their hands and observe cold and flu protocol to limit the potential for workplace exposure.
“Business continuity plans” are also being made to maintain critical city services, though no further detail was offered.
“The declaration of a pandemic by the WHO does not necessarily trigger all elements of our plans,” the city said. “Some services may be adjusted based on future recommendations from public health or the city’s ability to maintain operations.”
Businesses should have a crisis plan in place to protect their staff, operations, supply chain and reputation, according to the Surrey Board of Trade. Identifying alternative work sites and a work-from-home strategy should be priorities, according to the board’s planning documents.
“Health scares, especially instances where a new threat arises and spreads quickly, cause a public panic, but can also impact global markets and businesses everywhere,” said CEO Anita Huberman.
“It’s a good rule of thumb to have a crisis plan in place, and pandemic preparedness is a part of the overall crisis plan,” the board said.
The World Health Organization advises employers to ensure that employees and contractors have access to proper facilities for washing hands and that employees with even mild symptoms such as cough or fever should stay home.
“Make clear to employees that they will be able to count this time as sick leave,” it said.
If an employee becomes ill at work, make sure there is a room or area where they can be isolated from others, “without inviting stigma and discrimination into your workplace.”
Promoting regular teleworking will ensure that your business can keep operating in the event that health authorities have to discourage the use of public transportation, the WHO bulletin advises.
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