Dr. Vanessa Allen received a text in late January from the medical director for infection prevention and control at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. He needed to chat.
Allen describes the test for the new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, as being akin to making photocopies of the genetic code in the patient’s sample, and amplifying it to see if it matches the genetic code of the novel coronavirus. In the case in question, the results confirmed the suspicion: both nose and throat swab samples from the patient came back positive. The 2019 novel coronavirus was officially in Canada.
And while the WHO won’t call COVID-19 a pandemic just yet, Gardam argues it would probably be best for Canada to consider it one. “We’re fooling ourselves if we think we’re going to stop this, so let’s shift our thinking to how we best slow down the spread,” he says. “By declaring a pandemic, it sends the message that if it’s not everywhere, it will be.”
Within hours of the first positive COVID-19 test result, a media press conference featuring politicians and representatives from Sunnybrook, Public Health Ontario and Toronto Public Health was convened.
On Feb. 19, the daily number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally dropped from thousands to hundreds. Meanwhile, the daily number of newly recovered patients was in the thousands. It might have appeared that the worst of the virus was behind us. When the test came back positive, Henry thought it must be a mistake. “I thought this could be MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] because it was circulating in that part of the world,” says Henry. But a MERS test came back negative.
Plus Iran has relatively little outbound air travel to Lebanon or Canada, at least not compared to countries like Iraq, Syria and Azerbaijan—which at the time had zero confirmed cases of COVID-19. The math didn’t add up. And only a day after the Iranian deputy health minister coughed and sweated his way through a press conference denying claims his government was covering up the scale of the outbreak, he tested positive for COVID-19 and went into self-isolation.Around the same time that a patient without any ties to China was diagnosed in Canada, the U.S. had a similar case in its sights—a person in California who hadn’t recently travelled or been exposed to someone with confirmed COVID-19.
First I'd like to thank Health Canada and the Liberal government for doing absolutely nothing for the past month. Direct flights from hot spots. Sure no problem. Defensive quarantines can't stop the spread but they could have bought time to prepare. But no.
rexglacer Nope
rexglacer This headline sounds a lot like something FPVaughanIII has been saying for over a week now. Eat crow, Yukon Joe & Blondie Finn.
rexglacer Really? Long gone? So you are saying JustinTrudeau and his government is incompetent, dishonest and ill-prepared? How will that affect your government handout? cdnmedia cdnpoli
You in the MSM and your progressive politicians thought that calling us racists was the remedy.
Only the strong will survive I suppose.
What do you think duh! How stupid this article is. Good old click bait journalism from Macleans. What are their journalist, graduates from FOX news.
Yep, ready as I can be...Got my soap and water
Yes making fun because everyone else is so fucking serious! Turn the news off, wash your hands and live your life!
0.0000013% of the worlds population has/had Coronavirus, of which 0.000000019% of world population died (almost all elderly or immune compromised). OMG, panic, panic ! Shut down the schools, close the shops, cancel all gatherings ! Once again the world is ending !
This really isn't even a story if media didn't make it one.
So, the story changes once again... ... If you have been paying attention, the coronavirus is already in the schools, hospitals on the West Coast.. If my memory is correct, you touted your Guru Liberal government that there was a ' low Level ' of risk in Canada..
Many Canadian Hospitals are under staffed, under funded, & operate over capacity today. Canadians are resourceful & invented “Hallway Medicine” Hallway medicine in Ontario & Quebec is common. Don’t worry Canada ! Your government is looking after you !
Interesting - the number of abortions preformed far over reaches any plague known to man combined, people march through the streets demanding more.
I hope Canada does better than with SARS. World CFR was 9.6% - Canada, 17%. But, I guess that's socialized medicine for you.
Those of us with lung issues and COPD are scared to death of this virus!
Up to 56 thousand people die from the common flu every year. Stop Fear Mongering!
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