There are five people who are currently under surveillance in hospitals in Quebec, linked to the coronavirus which is causing concern in China.
So far, there is no evidence that these people have actually contracted the potentially deadly virus, but they are returning from China and have symptoms of respiratory illnesses that should be left to chance. They are currently under observation in hospitals in Montreal and Quebec. In total, in the past few days, six travelers from China have been examined by medical authorities. One of them has already been discharged on Wednesday, the tests being negative. This information was provided Wednesday by the national director of public health, Horacio Arruda, in a press conference. The latter sought to be reassuring, stating that everything was in place in the health network to intervene quickly if ever a case of coronavirus was detected in Quebec. Instructions were given to detect possible problem cases at airports and in hospital emergency rooms. The main symptoms are fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
In the Wuhan region of China, the spread of the new virus has made hundreds of people sick and 17 dead so far. Arruda’s intervention came when the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva is to determine whether the outbreak should be considered a “public health emergency of international concern”. In any event, Quebec is already on alert. “We are acting exactly as if it were an international emergency,” said Arruda, since travelers regularly return from China and “may have the disease.” “We prefer to sin by excess than to let a case wander in the community,” he commented. In terms of risk level in Quebec, Mr. Arruda described the current situation as “significant surveillance” and not as an “epidemic” context. Right now, there is no reason to recommend that Quebeckers not go to China, he said. Travelers preparing to go, however, should exercise caution, avoid bird markets, fish markets, and animal contact in markets.
Photo credit: Charles Rondeau, CC0 Public Domain.
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