Ontario health officials looking to significantly increase testing for coronavirus
Posted March 18, 2020 4:42 pm.
Last Updated March 18, 2020 5:45 pm.
Ontario health officials say they are continuing to ramp up testing for the COVID-19 virus across the province.
Officials say they hope to increase capacity to 5,000 tests a day, which would be five times the current rate.
Provincial officials said tests results were pending for 3,379 people as of mid-day Wednesday – about double the amount of pending cases the day before.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, confirmed the number of cases being sent to labs is increasing but she could not pinpoint an exact date for when the province will be capable of handling the increase in testing.
Asked why everybody who requests a test is not getting one at this time, Dr. David Williams says they simply don’t have the capacity to do so adding that asymptomatic people are not infectious enough to be of concern, as per the current science.
Yaffe says they are also looking into streamlining the process which determines when a case of COVID-19 in a patient is resolved.
“Right now the criteria includes two negative tests 24 hours apart,” said Yaffe. “I’m sure a vast majority of our cases have recovered, they just haven’t met the criteria so we’re looking at changing that”
Currently only five of the 212 cases to date have been reported as resolved in Ontario.
Both Dr. Williams and Dr. Yaffe are asking Ontarians to rely on the self-assessment tool that is available on the provincial government’s website rather than burden their family doctor if they’re concerned they may have coronavirus symptoms.
“If you have symptoms, take the self assessment. If it says to call Telehealth, do so. If it says go to an assessment centre – make an appointment and go. We want doctors to see less patients.”
Dr. David Williams said he’s encouraged to see that Ontarians are listening and respecting social distancing guidelines.
“I think people are listening and taking care,” said Williams. “I’m really encouraged with all the groups to try and make social isolation sociable… it’s a lot of change for people, it’s not easy.”
