Windsor Regional has tested 'handful' of people for coronavirus

Windsor Regional Hospital has tested a "handful" of individuals for coronavirus.

Spokesperson Steve Erwin wouldn't give an exact number but said more than five people andfewer than 10 have been tested at Windsor Regional. He added that there are no confirmed coronavirus cases in Windsor.

"What we would look for would be sign of fever, a respiratory infection, flu-like symptoms, combined with recent travel history to that part of China," he said, referring to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of the current global coronavirus outbreak.

Erwin added that the hospital is also testing individuals "who may have been around someone who's had that recent travel."

The hospital is following guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health.

"Sometimes you err on the side of caution, and you may not have all of those indicators, but you may still go ahead with the test anyway," Erwin said.

Health Canada has confirmed five coronavirus cases in Canada three in Ontario and two in British Columbia.

A woman in London is among the confirmed cases in Ontario. Provincial health officials said at a Thursday media conference that there are 62Ontarians whose coronavirus tests are still pending.

According to the latest WHO situation report released on Thursday,there are 28,276 confirmed cases of coronavirusacross 24 countries.Approximately 28,000 confirmed cases are in China.

More than 560 people have died of coronavirus in China.

Hospital will inform the public "immediately" of confirmed case, says CEO

Speaking with reporters after a Thursday Windsor Regional Hospital board of directors meeting, president and CEO David Musyjsaid the community would be informed immediately of any confirmed coronavirus cases.

"We continue to be very vigilant with respectto working together between ourselves ... public health, EMS, [Erie Shores HealthCare], to be ready on the front lines and work in a coordinated fashion with respect to any [possible] case that either just shows up at the emergency department ... or ones in the community that end up having to come to the hospital," he said.

Hospital will inform the public "immediately" of confirmed coronavirus case, says David Musyj

5 years ago

Duration 1:55

Windsor Regional Hospital president and CEO David Musyj says Windsor-Essex medical organizations are coordinating together to prepare for any possible coronavirus case.

Musyj explained that the tests to determine whether someone has coronavirus are directed by Public Health Ontario.

"We have to communicate with Public Health Ontario, and we have to present all the clinical symptoms and the travel history of a particular patient to them," he said. "And then there's a clinical decision whether they even qualify for our test."

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, told reporters that the elderly have the highest risk of contracting coronavirus, explaining that many of those who have died in China were over the age of 60.

Ahmed said that influenza is "circulating in our community," adding that residents should take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from the flu and other respiratory infections.