A thread. For 4 months I’ve been investigating Covid-19 disasters in Vancouver care homes. The story drops now: Documents obtained via FOI reveal dozens of Vancouver care homes deliberately DID NOT DECLARE OUTBREAKS when a worker first tested positive 2/ scmp.com/news/china/dip…
In many cases, the outcomes under this new strategy known as "enhanced surveillance" or "enhanced monitoring" were horrendous. The FOI docs show that 42 homes failed to stop the virus spreading. More than 1,000 people became infected in these outbreaks. And 192 residents died 3/
The obscure strategy was introduced on Nov 9. Implementation varied, but Vancouver Coastal Health told homes if one worker tested +ve without "high-risk" exposure, visits, group activities, group meals, admission, transfers could continue. Mass testing? Not required (policy here) 
The policy shows that these staff infections could be kept secret: not only from the public and reporters, but from residents, relatives and even fellow staff of the care homes.
The worst outcome is now notorious. Little Mountain Place delayed outbreak status by two days after a worker caught Covid. 171 people were infected. 41 residents died in BC's worst outbreak. Among them, Cui Chan Wong. She was 73.
But the FOI docs show that this was no isolated failure. German Canadian Care Home, South Vancouver: a staff infection was detected on November 18, but outbreak was not declared for another eight days. 61 residents and 54 staff became infected. 25 residents died.
December 19, a worker tested positive at Fraser Health's Surrey’s Hilton Villa Seniors Community. But the outbreak declaration was not made until three days later. Twenty-four residents died, out of 76 who became infected (plus 47 staff)
Christmas Day: a worker tests positive at Royal City Manor in New Westminster (Fraser Health). But outbreak protocols are not introduced until nine days later. When the outbreak was over on March 5, 28 residents were dead, out of 102 who were infected along with 31 staff.
On avg, it took abt 5 days after their first worker tested positive before these 42 facilities realised the virus had spread & they belatedly imposed outbreak precautions. The outbreaks were a major contributor to BC's 2nd wave: 1/4 of all care home deaths/infections Nov9-Feb26
So why did VCH & Fraser Health (and other BC health authorities) use this strategy? It was recommended by the CDC of BC to conserve staffing, and allow residents to continue to enjoy visitation+other social situations. In most cases, it appears to have worked. In many, it did not
It's impossible to say exactly how much death and sickness might have been mitigated had these 42 homes declared outbreaks immediately when staff got infected. But the FOI data shows Fraser Health was much quicker than VCH to detect 2nd infection that triggered outbreak status
Fraser Health delayed outbreak status by avg 3.9 days, VCH by 7.1 days. And Fraser Health's outcomes were much better. Avg 21 people infected per facility in Fraser Health, vs 37 per VCH facility. Avg 7.4 died in VCH vs 3.7 in Fraser Health
Although the focus has gone off the care home crisis, thanks to widespread vaccination of residents, I suspect there will be more to say about this strategy. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie plans to investigate. Read the full story here scmp.com/news/china/dip…
POST SCRIPT...a result
https://twitter.com/ianjamesyoung70/status/1393399868501028866?s=20
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