Local hospitals brace for possible second wave of COVID-19
Local hospitals say they're better prepared for a possible second wave of COVID-19 because of planning done at the outset of the pandemic.
By now, hospitals have already developed plans for a surge of cases in intensive care units, said Lee Fairclough, who is the regional lead for Waterloo Wellington hospitals' pandemic response and also president of St. Mary's General Hospital.
They have also secured a deal with the City of Waterloo to operate a field hospital out of RIM Park if it came to that, Fairclough said.
Hospitals to minimize foot traffic
As some retailers and public spaces begin to reopen, hospitals are also moving toward resuming some elective procedures. But care is being taken to keep people out of hospital who don't need to be there, she said.
Virtual emergency room visits will continue to be on offer — a service St. Mary's rolled out last month. Patients can call 519-749-2024 to schedule a same day virtual consult with an emergency physician.
Limiting visitors and volunteers to hospital will also be standard practice for the foreseeable future, she said.
And if a second wave does occur, Fairclough said hospitals are ready to "ramp things down again."
"We'll have clear triggers," she said.
Flu season surge
Still, Fairclough said a surge of COVID-19 infection in the fall would bring new challenges because it could coincide with flu season, which is already a busy time for hospitals and emergency rooms.
Another challenge will be to distinguish between COVID-19 and the flu. The two illnesses share many similar symptoms, Fairclough said.
In preparation, Fairclough said they may encourage people to get their flu shots early this year, and look into whether assessment centres may be able to monitor for both illnesses at the same time.
Systemic issues
Health officials across the region are also preparing for a possible second wave, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, said last week.
Dr. Wang noted that many of the "issues" that have happened during the pandemic so far have been due to pre-existing gaps in the healthcare system that have become more apparent due to the strain of COVID-19 on the healthcare system.
"Work will need to continue at [the system] level … to try to address those system gaps and reinforce our healthcare system to be able to continue to be prepared for a second wave," Wang said.
Fairclough agreed with that assessment and said one of the "silver linings" of the pandemic is that it's made hospitals, long-term care homes and primary care providers work more closely together as patients receive care from all three.
"So now, moving into a crisis, those relationships exist," she said.