A panel of experts spoke about the novel coronavirus and the public health response to the outbreak at a forum organized by the University of Manitoba’s Community Health Sciences department Wednesday.
“As of now, we take our preparations for this new virus seriously. Although we are putting it in perspective, right now the risk remains low in Manitoba and we’re going to continue to follow this outbreak very closely and adjust our measures as needed,” Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, told a crowd of students, health care workers and others at the forum.
The panel — moderated by Manitoba’s former chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Joel Kettner — featured a litany of Manitoba health experts among others.
The forum and question-and-answer session lasted an hour.
Officials have confirmed just four cases of novel coronavirus in Canada, while a fifth is suspected. All of the cases are either in southern Ontario or British Columbia.
The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern over the virus.
More than 20,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide, but the majority are contained within China’s Wuhan region — the outbreak’s epicentre. Close to 500 people have died.
“The case fatality rate is about two per cent, which means 98 per cent of people survive, which is good news.” said Dr. Kevin Coombs, a University of Manitoba medical microbiology professor.
“In the amount of time that this particular event has occurred, about 100 times as many people have died from influenza.”
“The reality is, it’s probably not as exciting as we think it is,” said Dr. John Embil, a Winnipeg Regional Health Authority infection control physician.
“We’ve got a vision of where this is going to go, unlike 2003 with SARS, where we were caught off-guard and didn’t really have adequate preparation. This time, we have a road map of where we’re going to go.
“We’ve got common sense on our side.”
Embil noted hazardous material suits and face masks are unnecessary protection for the average person in public because the novel coronavirus is spread through droplet contact, rather than the air.
“We’re in an educational institution here, we need to educate ourselves, but it’s also important for the public,” said Kettner.
“I think science needs to be transparent and accountable.”
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