London’s Medical Officer of Health is assuring the public that the risk of an actual Ebola case is low, as two patients undergo testing at Victoria Hospital.
The pair, who are both members of the same family, were isolated in what’s called a “negative pressure room” at around 9:45p.m. Tuesday night.
According to a statement from the London Health Sciences Centre, the patients did not come in to the hospital through the emergency department.
The scene late Tuesday night as patients arrived at LHSC
Dr. Chris Mackie, London’s Medical Officer of Health, confirmed the pair had recently traveled from Guinea as part of the Government Assisted Refugee Program, which screens people for disease both when they leave the country, and after they arrive in Canada.
“Anyone that’s coming from a country with Ebola, even the slightest symptoms that may be consistent with Ebola, are monitored and reported and brought into hospital for close observation,” said Dr. Mackie.
He described their symptoms as very minor.
“The symptoms could very easily be ascribed to a cold or some other very mild illness,” said Dr. Mackie. “It seems like they’ve already resolved at this point, at least from the information that we have.”
LHSC has put all precautions in place to contain any risk, and Mackie is pleased with their response.
“Even if this does turn out to be Ebola, the system really did work and really did isolate these patients before they became infectious to others,” said Dr. Mackie. “The risk to the public is vanishingly low.”
The hospital has said it won’t release any further information about the patients in order to protect their privacy.
Officials with the LHSC also note this situation will have no impact on either patient or visitor activity at its hospitals.
The patients were referred to the region’s treatment centre for Ebola by public-health officials in Kitchener-Waterloo.
LHSC is one of several designated treatment facilities across the country for the Ebola virus.
For more information on LHSC’s Ebola procedures and to see the original information released by hospital officials, click here.
(picture courtesy of ‘Joe Smith’ @anonnews618 via Twitter)
Two Patients Being Tested For Ebola Virus at LHSC | (CFPL AM) AM 980
The pair, who are both members of the same family, were isolated in what’s called a “negative pressure room” at around 9:45p.m. Tuesday night.
According to a statement from the London Health Sciences Centre, the patients did not come in to the hospital through the emergency department.
The scene late Tuesday night as patients arrived at LHSC
Dr. Chris Mackie, London’s Medical Officer of Health, confirmed the pair had recently traveled from Guinea as part of the Government Assisted Refugee Program, which screens people for disease both when they leave the country, and after they arrive in Canada.
“Anyone that’s coming from a country with Ebola, even the slightest symptoms that may be consistent with Ebola, are monitored and reported and brought into hospital for close observation,” said Dr. Mackie.
He described their symptoms as very minor.
“The symptoms could very easily be ascribed to a cold or some other very mild illness,” said Dr. Mackie. “It seems like they’ve already resolved at this point, at least from the information that we have.”
LHSC has put all precautions in place to contain any risk, and Mackie is pleased with their response.
“Even if this does turn out to be Ebola, the system really did work and really did isolate these patients before they became infectious to others,” said Dr. Mackie. “The risk to the public is vanishingly low.”
The hospital has said it won’t release any further information about the patients in order to protect their privacy.
Officials with the LHSC also note this situation will have no impact on either patient or visitor activity at its hospitals.
The patients were referred to the region’s treatment centre for Ebola by public-health officials in Kitchener-Waterloo.
LHSC is one of several designated treatment facilities across the country for the Ebola virus.
For more information on LHSC’s Ebola procedures and to see the original information released by hospital officials, click here.
(picture courtesy of ‘Joe Smith’ @anonnews618 via Twitter)
Two Patients Being Tested For Ebola Virus at LHSC | (CFPL AM) AM 980
