What Montrealers need to know about COVID-19

Concern is growing among many Montrealers about the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 but the city’s public health department advises that for now, most people have little reason to be alarmed.

“Right now we only have one case, and it’s been well managed,” Dr. Paul Le Guerrier said in an interview with Global News Morning.

The only confirmed case of the virus in Quebec was a woman who had travelled recently to Iran, the country hardest-hit by COVID-19 outside of China. Her case has been described by officials as mild and she has been in isolation at home since her diagnosis.

Le Guerrier emphasized that with the lack of any localized transmission in the province, the risk to the general public remains quite low.

“There is no spread of this disease in Montreal right now,” he said. “There is no transmission in the community and so we ought not to be afraid at all about this disease right now.”

Montrealers should take the same precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19 that they would for the flu, according to Le Guerrier.

“You should always keep at least two metres from a person if you think they’re infectious,” he said, adding it’s best to minimize the amount of time spent with an infectious person.

Le Guerrier said the most important thing Montrealers can do to prevent contracting any virus, including COVID-19, is to keep your hands clean and away from your face.

“I’m starting to do that right now,” he said. “I take the Metro every morning, I touch the pole and I don’t touch my face. And I go to work and I wash my hands.”

While people in other parts of the world have more reason to be concerned, Le Guerrier reiterated that Montrealers can and should go about their business as usual — at least for now.

“There are pockets in the world right now — we hear about Iran, Italy, especially China — but right now in Montreal there are no transmissions.”