Screen all for virus: province to care homes

Ontario is advising all long-termcare homes in the province to begin screening staff, volunteers, visitors and residents for novel coronavirus.

The order comes after the death, announced over the weekend, of a man in his 80s who lived in a B.C. long-term care home. It was Canada’s first COVID-19 death.

Long-term care residents are among the most vulnerable to the infectious illness, which has killed more than 3,800 people worldwide and has infected nearly 110,000.

The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk of dying from the illness caused by the new coronavirus. According to Chinese cases, people over 80 had a 14.8-per-cent fatality rate, compared with an overall rate of 2.3 per cent.

In Ontario, not only are longterm care home residents older on average than they once were, but they are also sicker. Almost all LTC residents have underlying health issues and many have dementia, all of which puts them more at risk.

There also is an ongoing shortage of staff for long-term care and other facilities where seniors live, which increases the chance that staff members are moving between several institutions and could up the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In a statement, Ontario Ministry of Health spokesperson Hayley Chazan said the province has issued updated guidance that all long-term care homes proactively check staff, volunteers, visitors and residents for symptoms and ask about recent travel history and contacts.

“It’s important to note that longterm-care homes already enforce rigorous provincial standards for all public health concerns, including outbreak management systems for detecting, managing, and controlling infectious disease outbreaks,” Chazan said.

The ministry continues to advise all Ontarians to wash their hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, to sneeze and cough into their sleeve, to avoid touching their eyes and mouth, to avoid contact with people who are sick and to stay home if they are sick.