The pandemic started with talk of an ominous surge of COVID-19 patients filling Saskatchewan hospitals to the brim, but so far, that prediction hasn’t come to fruition.
Instead, Saskatoon’s normally overloaded emergency rooms were quiet in March, according to one doctor.
“People were initially quite afraid to come to the hospital, thinking that it was full of COVID patients and they might get sick.”
Visits to Saskatoon ERs were down by about 2,000 in March — about 18 per cent less than normal, Smith said.
Fewer people were doing outdoor activities, she said, which means fewer incidents of trauma, chest pain and shortness of breath.
Smith said another factor could be the expansion of other health care services, including 811 and virtual doctors’ appointments.
Reduced traffic freed up time for ER staff to run simulations and review patient flow and infection prevention strategies.
Every room in the emergency departments underwent a safety evaluation, while construction crews built additional walls to create barriers between patients.
“Our emergency departments are very much as safe as they ever were and in some ways even more so because we’ve gone through everything with an absolute fine-tooth comb,” Smith said.
Many of those changes will stay in place, she said, pointing to the improvements for treatment room and infection control.
Over the past couple of weeks, traffic has ticked up, with people coming in sicker than normal.
“We’re just starting to see the aftermath of the people staying home longer,” Smith said, highlighting cases of advanced appendicitis, pneumonia, and chest and abdominal pain.
“We started to see some later presentations of things, where we’d rather see people come early with some of those problems, so that we can apply our interventions.”
The constantly changing predictions about how the province’s hospitals will be affected by the pandemic have proven stressful for some.
“It’s been a real emotional rollercoaster. I think there was this initial wave of fear that came where we were concerned that we weren’t ready,” Smith said.
“Now, I think we’re returning to a baseline of confidence in our work.”
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is reminding people that it’s safe to visit the ER in the midst of the pandemic.
“It’s super important that if you’re having something you deem to be an emergency, that you do come see us before you get sicker, so that we can prevent any harm from coming to you and so that we can catch things early,” Smith said.
Now that Saskatchewan has started to reopen, the authority is reminding people that healthcare facilities are prioritizing safety with proper screening and hygiene protocols.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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