BREAKING: The first suspected #2019nCoV coronavirus case in Toronto has been confirmed as Canada's first. The second suspected case is still being classified as "presumptive," says Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe #cdnhealth
Yaffe says there are now enhanced screening measures in place for 911 dispatchers in Ontario, who will ask callers with respiratory illnesses about travel history so that paramedics can arrive wearing appropriate garb in suspected coronavirus cases #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams says the first coronavirus patient became more symptomatic 24 hours after returning to Toronto and called emergency services when he displayed symptoms #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
Yaffe says the patient "acted responsibly" by calling paramedics soon after he displayed symptoms and she speculates that perhaps he didn't feel ill on the plane #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
Williams says Canada may be able to contribute to the international knowledge base about the coronavirus through the information learned from the confirmed and suspected cases in Toronto #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
Williams says there are 19 people under investigation in connection with the coronavirus and that quite a few are in Toronto #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
Toronto's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa says @TOPublicHealth has been working "flat out" to identify close contacts of first coronavirus patient but doesn't specify how far along process is after questions from @carlyweeks and @CBCQueensPark #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark de Villa says passengers who were on flight with first coronavirus patient should contact local public health unit if if they display symptoms of respiratory illness, but otherwise continue about their regular business #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark de Villa says second suspected case of coronavirus in Toronto is in self isolation, doing "well" and currently asymptomatic #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark de Villa says @TOPublicHealth is working in collaboration with other local public health units and is "well staffed" to identify close contacts of first confirmed coronavirus patient #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Williams says there are no changes to the way in which schools should be responding to this, says it's flu season and typical precautions should be taken but it's "business as usual" #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Williams says the condition of the first confirmed coronavirus patient in Toronto is "stable" and that he is continuing to recover and is under close observation #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark de Villa reiterates that second suspected coronavirus patient is "asymptomatic" and is under self isolation with regular contact with public health officials #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Williams says the first confirmed coronavirus patient and second suspected patient took precautions not to see other people after displaying symptoms upon returning to Toronto #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark "Screening only does so much" and there is a need for citizens to be responsible, Williams says #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Yaffe says most people will cooperate and airport screening is only "one measure" in place #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Yaffe says that to meet the requirements for testing, the 19 under investigation for coronavirus had to have displayed symptoms and travelled to Wuhan in the past two weeks #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark de Villa says best thing for respiratory virus prevention and spread of disease is to get annual flu shot, wash hands, try not to touch face or mouth, cover cough or sneeze, stay home when sick #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark With that in mind, de Villa says "major risk factor" is travel to affected parts of the world where coronavirus outbreak has occurred #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Williams says health-care providers are "optimistic" about first confirmed coronavirus patient's recovery but are still waiting for international advice as to when to know if a patient has fully recovered #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark Williams says most of the deaths from coronavirus reported in China are related to older individuals, but mortality rate is difficult to say at this stage #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark With regard to travel advisories, Williams says health officials in Canada are resting on the advice of the @WHO for more information #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO Yaffe says 19 people under investigation for coronavirus are in hospital under precautions, Williams adds some are in other parts of the province who may have had a travel history to affected regions #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO Williams confirms 15 people have been cleared for investigation of coronavirus infection, 19 are under investigation, there is one confirmed case and one "presumptive" case #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO de Villa says as the investigation proceeds into the 19 people being analyzed for coronavirus infection, officials will be able to better articulate whether they were on the same flight or different flights #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO Williams says officials have never recommended the wearing of masks in public to prevent infection, adds it may give people some solace but it's more important people don't put hands near face #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO de Villa says that all of the resources needed to be brought to bear to address the coronavirus situation are happening #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO de Villa confirms health officials investigating the plane are looking at the three rows in front and three rows behind the passenger confirmed to be Canada's first case of novel coronavirus #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO In a separate news conference, @CPHO_Canada Dr. Theresa Tam says the first confirmed case of new coronavirus had presented "mild cough" upon arrival at the Toronto airport. #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada Tam says the patient and his wife completed questionnaires upon arrival and indicated they had travelled to Wuhan, China. They were subsequently questioned by a @CanBorder officer and provided information on what to do if they fell ill over the next 14 days #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says there will be increased presence of Public Health officials at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal to support @CanBorder agents #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says she believes approximately 25 patient samples have been sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, which has confirmed one case of the new coronavirus but she expects a second confirmed case from the patient's wife #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says risk to Canadians due to coronavirus remains low, but expects more cases in Canada and stresses that things can change as the situation unfolds in China and federal health officials will be adjusting their risk assessment accordingly #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says health officials will be looking at epidemiology to determine if travel advisories will be expanded beyond affected regions in China #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says she is aware of investigations by health officials into suspected coronavirus cases in "a number of provinces" and there are "quite a few of them" across the country #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder Tam says the 25 possible coronavirus samples being tested at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg does not include the 19 people currently under investigation for possible coronavirus in Ontario #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
@TOPublicHealth @carlyweeks @CBCQueensPark @WHO @CPHO_Canada @CanBorder In response to my question about whether patient had coronavirus symptoms on flight to Toronto, Tam says there was no "obvious illness" and symptoms arose after arrival in Toronto, but contact tracing is being done as a reasonable and precautionary approach #2019nCoV #cdnhealth
