What we know about COVID-19 cases inside our local hospitals
LHSC had two patients in hospital wards test positive; St Thomas General has a sick employee.
Hospitals in London and surrounding areas are not only caring for patients who arrive sick with coronavirus, they're also dealing with their own internal outbreaks.
A healthcare worker at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 Monday, with hospital staff now investigating and tracing patients and colleagues who came into contact with the individual.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) had a positive case Saturday on the Geriatric Behavioural Care Unit at Victoria Hospital. Earlier this month, another case was reported at University Hospital's Cardiac Care Unit.
An outbreak is considered by the province to be one positive case or more.
Reporting at St. Joe's
CBC News learned Tuesday that two people at London's Parkwood Institute tested positive for the virus at the end of March.
Those cases were not reported by the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU), which is providing a daily list of facilities and hospitals experiencing an outbreak.
MLHU said the individuals were not admitted to hospital but were involved in a program, and so did not fall under the health unit's reporting purview.
When CBC London asked St. Joseph's Health Care London why it had not made the two cases public, a spokesperson said in an email that the hospital is not required to do so. Instead, it used its "own process" to tell those involved.
However, the institution said it is working toward making future cases public on its website.
Patients in hospital
LHSC has been releasing a daily count of patients being treated inside both of its facilities for several weeks now, including the number of people in critical care units.
The numbers have grown steadily, with a total of 25 patients admitted late Tuesday, 11 of which are in critical care.
Local health units will not say whether any of the individuals being treated in hospital are healthcare workers, with the exception of Southwestern Public Health. It clarified that the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital employee is recovering at home.
Healthcare workers in the region have spoken out about the stress they feel going to work. The province said a total of 857 health-care workers have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the outbreak.
Of the 769 COVID-19 cases in Ontario that have been hospitalized:
- 255 are in intensive care units, eight fewer than in Monday's update.
- 199 are on ventilators, four fewer than Monday's update.