Part two of a three part series about the DEC 10 ZOOM conference Island Health had with a group of Cortes Island community leaders. (Click here for part one)

“There is a plan and it works … We can stop or mitigate [COVID] transmission very quickly, with Public Health interventions,” said Dr. Charmaine Enns, Medical Health Officer for North Vancouver Island.

How the plan works

”It is unusual to detect cases outside of those close contacts when it is starting in a community. So an investigation always starts with the first case. Then we identify close contacts. The vast majority of new cases come from that close contact group. Right now on Vancouver Island, over 70% of our cases are known close contacts. There are not very many surprises anymore,” she continued.

“Most people who are identified as a case can successfully isolate at home.  Less than one percent, maybe half a percent, may need hospital intervention. So the ability to successfully help someone isolate at home is important.” 

Close contacts 

The requirements for people who come into close contact with someone who has COVID are different. Most close contacts do not become cases, but they are also in a period of potential incubation. They need to isolate and if they start manifesting symptoms, they need to be tested quickly.

Dr Enns added, “We expect them to go outside and get some air. Get some exercise. They are not meant to be be prisoners in their homes.”

Named, blamed or shamed

She also expressed concern about ‘rumours’ and “how quickly people get named, blamed or shamed.

“That’s just background noise to me now. I do not even pay attention. Our response is not to social media, our response is to actual cases and close contacts,” said Enns.  

“Labs now report, in real time, positive results to people. They get their results before we even become aware … Usually with a couple of hours from when that person got the text, we will be in touch with them.”

“What’s happening, with that texting of results, is that people are texting out to the world that they are positive …This is causing a lot of anxiety in communities … and messaging and people shutting down their businesses. It is so much stress and anxiety, I don’t know why people feel they have to tell the world that they have a problem with COVID, but they do and it gets in front of us in being able to do our work.”

A good way to respond 

“we can’t stop COVID until we have the vaccine, but we shouldn’t be surprised [by outbreaks] and have a good way to respond,” said Enns. 

She added, “And of course we want to encourage everyone to adhere to the current public health recommendations and [stress] the importance of all of us being partners with the response. The more we manage our own lives and behaviour, the more we protect our families and our communities. If we all did that, we’d see a much quicker flattening and reduction.  

Restructuring Island Health

In response to the COVID situation, last week Island Health adopted a pod structure.  

In addition to her duties as North Vancouver Island’s Medical health officer, Dr Enns and Dr. Shannon Waters are overseeing the pod for rural, remote and indigenous communities. They will also be managing Indigenous cases in urban settings.

“There will be some flexing between our pods, depending on the amount of activity,” added Dr. Enns. 

Top photo credit: Sunset on a beach in Tofino, Vancouver Island by Frank Martens via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)