A second case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in a Metro Vancouver, following a presumptive positive test at a BC Centre for Disease Control lab.
For the test to be confirmed, the positive result must be duplicated at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, although the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said she is confident it will prove positive.
The latest case involves a woman in her 50s who is thought to have contracted the virus after coming in contact with family members visiting from Hubei province in China, the epicentre of the virus.
In a conference call with reporters, Dr. Henry would not elaborate on the makeup of the family or their health but did say that health officials were monitoring them.
“This case is not unexpected,” she said. “It tells us our system is working.”
The news comes the same day as the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that the novel viral outbreak is not yet a global pandemic but that health officials around the world continue to make preparations as the virus spreads, according to The Associated Press.
Currently, the novel coronavirus is considered an epidemic in China as well as a “public health emergency of international concerns.” That designation unlocks special funding and international mechanisms designed to help countries — especially ones with weaker health systems — cope with the spread of the disease.
But for the WHO to deem the spread of the virus a pandemic, there must be two major outbreaks on at least two continents.
Even without the designation, Dr. Henry said, “there are many reasons why we all need to be extra vigilant, particularly in these next few weeks when we're going to get a better sense of whether we're able to contain this.”
Simple steps such as regularly washing your hands and not touching your face can help stem the spread of the virus. For those who have travelled to China, and in particular, near the epicentre of the disease, Henry said it’s vital that they take measures to stay away from others, like staying home from work and school, especially for those within the 14-day incubation period.
“We need to be extra sensitive about our children,” she said. “Young, healthy people may have very mild symptoms but can still pass it on to other people.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 4, the virus has been confirmed in more than 20,000 people around the world, with 427 deaths and 727 recovered patients, according to a tally compiled by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Meanwhile, a flight chartered by the Canadian government is set to repatriate Canadians trapped in China’s quarantine zone. It’s scheduled to depart Thursday. As of Tuesday, 308 Canadians have asked for help to leave the country but the plane only has room for about 250 passengers.
With the flight scheduled to refuel at Vancouver International Airport, local emergency health services and a hospital in Richmond are prepared to medevac any medical emergencies should they occur en route across the Pacific or while refuelling.
“We have the all of the protocols in place to ensure that that's done in a way that protects people from the coronavirus,” Henry said.
The evacuees — of whom about one third have ties to B.C. — will be quarantined for 14 days at an airforce base in Trenton, Ont. before they are permitted into the wider population.
So far, there is no specific treatment or vaccination for the novel coronavirus. The virus often causes infections in the lungs and upper airways. In some cases, where infection leads to pneumonia, health care workers can administer antibiotics to help fight infection. The virus is also known to exacerbate other health conditions, like heart or lung disease, said Henry.
In response to questions about ongoing research to treat the coronavirus with antiviral medication used to treat HIV and influenza, Henry said those are still in the clinical trial stage and there’s no evidence they work.
—With files from the Canadian Press and Associated Press
