BARRHEAD-A Barrhead area pharmacist and contact tracer for Alberta Health Services (AHS) Rita Lyster, says people need to follow the public health mandated self-isolation and quarantine requirements for COVID-19.
If not, they risk the spread of COVID-19 into the community and potentially into vulnerable populations such as seniors and people with underlying health conditions.
Lyster reached out to the Leader after Pembina Hills School Division sent a letter on March 19 notifying parents that six Barrhead students had tested positive for COVID-19, five in Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) and one in Barrhead Elementary School (BES).
"The best way to beat this virus is by not providing it hosts to replicate," she said, adding the best way to do that is by following the public health guidelines (wearing a mask, physical distancing and frequent hand washing/sanitization) and restrictions. "Quarantine and isolation are vital to interrupt the transmission of this virus. Otherwise, this really could blow up and spread in the community."
Although people with COVID-19 can display a large array of symptoms, the most common are runny nose, fever, chills, headache, new or worsening cough, body aches, loss of smell or taste, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or vomiting, fatigue or weakness. A person can be "infectious" up to two days before displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. Many can also have no symptoms at all.
Lyster added it is also important that people are honest with themselves and contact tracers whether or not that they have been a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, because of how quickly the virus can be transmitted.
AHS defines a close contact as anyone who lived with or was within two metres of a person who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more, including cumulative contact (multiple interactions for a total of 15 minutes or more, even if a mask was worn during that contact); has had direct contact with bodily fluids of a person who has COVID-19 (such as being sneezed or coughed on); provided direct care for a person who has COVID-19; shared items with or had direct physical contact with someone with COVID-19.
Albertans are required to isolate for 10 days if they tested positive or have any core symptoms that are not related to a pre-existing illness or health condition and quarantine if they had close contact with a person who has COVID-19 or returned from travel outside of Canada.
"I know people are tired of the guideline and restrictions and are poo-pooing it, saying it isn't a big deal. It is a big deal. Just take a look at our stats and how quickly we went from having zero or one or two cases at the beginning of the week to eight (as of March 19)," she said.
