Dr. Jim Chirico believes the only way to slow the spread of the coronavirus in our community is to assume everyone has it.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Chief Medical Officer made the comment after new numbers revealed another community spread case released on Tuesday.
The fourteenth case in the district is a woman in her 50s reportedly to have caught the virus through community spread. The woman is currently in self-isolation.
"We need to assume that COVID-19 is in every municipality and everyone has it," stated Chirico through an email to BayToday.
"Act now by staying home and only going out when necessary. When doing so, it is important to maintain the two metres physical distancing."
Like much of Ontario, the local Health Unit has not been able to do mass testings. So far, the Health Unit has done 715 tests within the region.
"Until recently there has been a shortage of testing equipment and laboratory capacity," said Chirico.
"The local testing centres should now have the capacity to test more individuals. There are priority populations for testing and the decision to test for COVID-19 remains with the primary health care provider.
"The priorities include Hospital inpatients, residents of long-term care and retirement homes, health care workers, caregivers, care providers, paramedics, and first responders, including police and firefighters, remote, isolated, rural and Indigenous communities, Other congregate living centres, including homeless shelters, prisons and group homes, specific vulnerable populations, including patients undergoing chemotherapy or hemodialysis and requiring transplants, as well as pregnant persons, newborns and cross-border workers, and other essential workers, as defined by provincial orders.
"We need to remember currently, there is no specific treatment for COVID-19. It is also important to know that most individuals with COVID-19 have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Individuals who are mildly ill should isolate and care for themselves at home. Most will recover in one to two weeks by simply treating the symptoms."
Chirico believes the hospital and the regional health unit have been handling COVID-19 effectively.
"At this time our hospitals in the Health Unit’s region are not being overrun or overburdened," he said.
"Emergency visits, admissions to hospitals and Critical Care Units are not above normal. We have 14 confirmed cases and we expect more to come and sadly we also expect there to be deaths. However, we can limit the number of people infected and save lives by continuing to physical distance."
Chirico believes that physical distancing is working and now is not the time to let up.
"We need to continue to stay home except for essential reasons and when out in the community continue to physically distance, wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cover your coughs and sneezes and not touch your face."
For more information locally on the coronavirus locally, you can visit the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit website HERE
