P.E.I. monitoring the situation
Still no confirmed cases reported in the province
P.E.I.’s Chief Public Health Office said Friday it is in close contact with Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer to monitor, rapidly identify and manage any cases of the coronavirus.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Wellness also confirmed on Friday that there have been no confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV in the province.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with all provinces and territories, and its international partners, including the World Health Organization, to actively monitor the situation.
The health agency has assessed the public health risk as low within Canada and moderate to high for Canadian travellers within China depending on the location of travel, as well as the age and health status of the traveller.
All travellers who have returned from parts of mainland China (other than Hubei province) are being asked to monitor themselves and their children closely for 14 days after leaving China and to call 811 if they develop any symptoms, such as a fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
The provinces and territories are also recommending that any arriving travellers who have been in Hubei province (including Wuhan), voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days after leaving China.
Self-isolation means these travellers should stay at home and not attend school or work. Returning travellers from Hubei are encouraged to call 811 to connect with local public health for further advice and support.
Those who have not travelled recently to China but are still concerned about the virus should consider the following two questions:
- In the past 14 days, have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus?
- In the past 14 days, have you been in close contact with a person with fever or acute respiratory illness (new or worsening cough or difficulty breathing) who has been to Hubei province, China, within 14 days prior to becoming ill?
If the answer is yes to either question, stay at home and call 811 for further assessment.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. Some coronaviruses can cause no or mild illness, like the common cold, whole other coronaviruses can cause severe illness.
Some human coronaviruses spread easily between people, while others do not.
A person’s risk of severe disease may be higher if they have a weakened immune system, such as older people or people with chronic disease, such as diabetes, cancer, heart, renal or chronic lung disease.