More COVID-19 tests will be done on people with milder symptoms for a limited time as part of a surveillance initiative of the north.
Porcupine Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton said the region is part of the targeted surveillance because Northern Ontario is at a different stage of the pandemic.
"We see much greater cases and much greater levels of community spread in southern Ontario and different areas of Ontario than we do in the north. And so it is just recognizing that this opportunity to expand testing in the north can get us a better picture of what’s going on and better inform the next steps going forward,” she said.
While she doesn't have a specific timeline for how long the initiative will last, she expects it will be a couple of weeks.
The idea, she said, is to give a better understanding of the status of the virus, and the effectiveness of public health measures up to now. It will also help them gather information that could help guide the next steps.
For the initiative, primary care givers will be encouraged to refer people with mild symptoms who may not have qualified for testing before to one of the assessment centres in the region.
Up until now, the main COVID-19 symptoms have been cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. The expanded list of potential symptoms now includes: sore throat/hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, loss of smell or taste, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting.
The initiative does not mean the population is being screened or that asymptomatic people will be tested, said Catton.
"At this point in time there’s no evidence or guidance to support that, it is to look at a broader subset of the population with potentially milder symptoms, which you’ll recognize a lot of COVID-19 is very mild in nature and some individuals may not even be considering themselves as being actually sick or really unwell,” she said.
Currently, there are 39 confirmed cases in the Porcupine Health Unit's area.
No new confirmed cases have been reported in the past 48 hours.
Since the last two positive cases were confirmed April 11 to this morning, 54 tests have been done in the region.
From Saturday, April 11 to Sunday, April 12, the health unit’s daily numbers report 11 new test results, all of which were negative.
From yesterday morning to today, the numbers show the results of only two negatives tests.
Over the weekend, an outbreak of the virus was declared at Spruce Hill Lodge in South Porcupine after a resident tested positive.
She said staff are wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), and unwell residents are being isolated.
Staff are also being cohorted. Catton explained that means they are trying to ensure people only care for certain wings or groups. That way if postive cases are identified, the potential exposure to anyone else has been limited.
"At this point in time meals are being held in the rooms, there’s no congregate settings for residents. There’s obviously increased sanitation and cleaning as well as strict isolation for any symptomatic resident at this point in time,” she said.
An outbreak of the virus at Extendicare Timmins was announced April 9 after a staff member tested positive. The employee was was identified as a close contact of another case, which wasn't related to the long-term care facility. Because the worker was identified as a close contact, she was already in self-isolation.
Catton said the outbreak at Extendicare lasts for 14 days, and ends tomorrow (April 14).
At this time, she said there is only one confirmed case at each facility and more testing has been done.
“I can assure you they are following all public health guidance and we will continue to support this work at these homes and others across the Porcupine Health Unit,” she said.
The COVID-19 assessment centres in the region are by appointment only.
If you have symptoms, contact your health care provider or the health unit to be booked for an appointment.
The PHU COVID-19 information line is open today until 3 p.m. It can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
