A man in his 50s who recently returned from Iran has been confirmed as the ninth case of the COVID-19 coronavirus in British Columbia.
The man is from the Fraser Health region and is now in self-isolation, according to B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Fraser Health encompasses an area stretching from Burnaby to Hope and includes the Tri-Cities.
“If you haven’t been contacted, you’re not at risk,” said Dr. Henry.
There are now 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Canada, including 20 in Ontario, one in Quebec and a further nine in British Columbia.
In this province, more than 1,000 people have been tested, something Dr. Henry attributes to a wide net with a low threshold for testing. Anyone who has travelled to countries with ongoing outbreaks or thinks they have had contact with someone who is sick with the virus is asked to call 811.
Those arriving from Iran or Hubei province in China — the epicentre of the virus — are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Canada.
The health official contrasted the approach to efforts in countries like the U.S. and Italy, where travel bans have proved ineffective and where outbreaks have led to scores of deaths.
So far, no deaths have been attributed to the novel coronavirus in Canada.
“This is an extraordinary time. It is not our usual flu season,” said Dr. Henry. “What we need to do now is get ready.”
That means being especially vigilant about staying home when you or a family member is sick. At some point in the future, transmission clusters could start to appear here in B.C., and that’s not the time to be heading out to the store to pick up supplies, she said — nor is now the time to stockpile a doomsday quantity of food.
Gradually purchasing adequate food and medicine at home to last several weeks is prudent, as is planning for a time when children can’t attend daycare or someone from work falls ill with the virus.
For businesses, creating protocols for workplace infections and creating flexible work environments where employees can work from home could help stem the spread of the pathogen throughout the community.
“Wash your hands like you’re chopping jalapeños and you need to change your contacts,” said Dr. Henry.
In the lead-up to spring break — March 16 to 27 in School District 43— many British Columbians are likely considering travel. Dr. Henry said travel within North America remains safe but people should exercise due diligence when travelling to areas known to be hit hardest by COVID-19.
“What is your tolerance for being caught in a quarantine in another country right now?” she asked.
It’s also not a bad time to reconsider daily greeting habits, noting it’s OK not to shake hands, kiss or hug. The larger the group of people, the higher the risk of transmitting the virus, a reality that Tuesday led the Tri-City Iranian Cultural Society to cancel all of its events for the upcoming Iranian New Year.
British Columbians still carry a relatively low risk for catching the virus, said Dr. Henry, adding that everything is being done to keep it that way. The BC Centre for Disease Control has stepped up the amount of testing its doing while also reaching out to its counterparts in Washington State to offer help.
“We’re in full-on containment,” she said, “We’ve seen an increase over the last weeks but it’s not something we can’t handle.”
Earlier Tuesday, two more deaths occurring last week in the Seattle area were attributed to the virus, bringing the Washington death total to nine. Several other deaths in a Seattle suburb were linked to a seniors care facility, a development that highlights the higher risk to those with compromised immune systems.
Anyone with underlying conditions like hypertension, heart disease or a respiratory illness could see their condition deteriorate should they contract COVID-19.
“We’ve seen what’s happened in Washington State,” said Dr. Henry. “We want to stay way from people who are particularly at risk.”
