TORONTO Increasingly frustrated health officials say they are prepared to take more aggressive measures to track and contain people with COVID-19 as the number of sick and dead continues to soar.
And that could involve employing some of the digital and mobile strategies seen in countries including Singapore and South Korea where suppression has been more successful, they suggest with caveats.
All of this is under review by various public health bodies, but a York University expert in infectious disease modelling warns that delayed action risks allowing the virus to continue its rapid spread, and force even more intense physical distancing measures.
That may be the painful lesson Canada needs to learn, said Jianhong Wu, an experienced modeller who has led multiple national projects on SARS, pandemic influenza, and immunization evaluation.
Every country has had to go through this first before they learned how serious it is, said Wu, a distinguished research professor whose work includes analysis of epidemic data in Wuhan, China, where the virus was first detected late last year.
The argument for more stringent contact tracing was laid bare in a directive from Ontarios chief medical officer of health this week. Dr. David Williams instructed the provinces public health units to use their authority to isolate COVID-19 cases and anyone with whom those infected people came into close contact.
Williams reiterated that in a press conference, noting the social contacts of those infected must also be traced and contained if were ever to bring the virus to heel.
Even if we were able to flatten the curve, the real grunt work of public health really then kicks into gear even more, explained Williams, referring to the famous line graph that depicts the steep rise in cases that would result without interventions.
(With) all these cases youre going to have to do a lot more contacting, more phone calling, more investigating.
Williams said his office is looking at how to add more staff, volunteers and the use of technology towards this effort.
That work will have to persist through the spring and summer in order to make sure infections dont spark flare-ups.
Were looking at quickly how to ramp that up not only for today, but tomorrow and in the future, because this is going to be very important in the days and weeks going ahead, said Williams.
Its very much intensive work, he added, and thats where technology can help. Whether that includes the use of mobile tracking tools to keep tabs on the infected is an open question, and one hes not ready to rule out.
We have many proposals coming in, and nothing is being rejected outright, said Williams.
Canadas biggest hurdle to tech-assisted tracking is public and political aversion to measures that threaten individual privacy, said Wu, but he argued public safety concerns should trump those worries here.
For now, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott has suggested the emphasis continues to be on people power. She said Thursday that she hoped medical students can help carry that load.
Such a strategy is already in use in Alberta, where approximately 300 University of Calgary medical students have bolstered that provinces ability to contact the infected and make sure they and their contacts self-isolate.
Dr. Richelle Schindler, a resident physician at the U of C who specializes in public health and preventative medicine, said by email that nursing students may be added to the monumental task, in which trackers chase individuals by phone but can send paramedics to check on those they cant reach.
Albertans who violate isolation orders face a $1,000 fine, but courts have been given increased powers to administer fines of up to $100,000 for a first offence and up to $500,000 for subsequent, more serious violations.
Student trackers must have clinical experience but also get two days of training before hitting the phones. They also get program credit for their time.
While the importance of contact tracing has received less attention than testing in Canada, Wu insisted it is a crucial step to suppressing an epidemic.
He noted that test results provide a snapshot of infections that are days, and even weeks, old. But contact tracing can indicate where the virus is as it jumps from person-to-person.
The public should know that if you want to go back to normal you have to know who is exposed, said Wu, pointing to regions in Asia where the use of mobile data is credited with allowing schools and busy markets to remain open.
Contact tracing generally involves notifying the infected and their close contacts, but really effective tracing would also notify contacts of those close contacts, said Wu.
Thats because by the time youve identified people who have the virus, their close contacts may already be infected and spreading it to others.
Then you can say that the community is safe we know who is impacted, or exposed, who is infected, and therefore you can go back to resuming some social activities, Wu said.
Toronto Public Healths associate medical officer of health said Thursday his unit is in the midst of scaling up tracing efforts by developing a web-based system that would allow more front-line staff to join the effort from home.
The Coronavirus Rapid Entry Case and Contact Management System would allow trackers to input essential case information that can be shared with the province.
Dr. Michael Finkelstein said Toronto currently has more than 100 staff following up with those who are infected and their contacts, and acknowledged that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep pace as cases grow.
But for now, mobile tracking of citizens is not part of Torontos strategy.
TPH is aware that some jurisdictions have used this technology and is investigating its use, said Finkelstein by email.
Wu described a synergistic relationship between three pillars of disease suppression: testing, tracing and social distancing. Where one falters, the others must compensate, he explained.
Even if contact tracing becomes less effective as community spread grows, people still need to know the level of infections and degree of exposure.
Its never too late so you can never give up, said Wu.
But I think we are at a stage that we really have to kick in the technologies and you really have to have the participation from the public.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2020.
With files from Allison Jones
Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
Coronavirus
Excerpt from:
The race to trace the spread of COVID-19 in Canada using disease trackers - Red Deer Advocate
- Utilizing your free, preventative healthcare coverage - KELOLAND.com - February 18th, 2024
- Preventive Pros: the Podcast - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences - University of Southern California - February 18th, 2024
- Heart health awareness and preventative care with Jen Lewis on Coast Live - News 3 WTKR Norfolk - February 18th, 2024
- Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention - American Heart Association - February 18th, 2024
- Preventive health care benefits | Opinion | thecabin.net - Log Cabin Democrat - February 18th, 2024
- Menopause and migraines: New findings point to power of prevention - Medical Xpress - February 18th, 2024
- How Young Is Too Young For Preventative Skincare? Here's What Experts Want You To Know - Health.com - February 18th, 2024
- Potential prevention of rheumatoid arthritis with injection? Clinical study brings hope for millions - WION - February 18th, 2024
- Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention - Medical Xpress - February 18th, 2024
- Stay on top of your fur baby's health: the importance of scheduling routine vet visits - FoxReno.com - May 17th, 2023
- Preventive healthcare - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Health and Why Is It Important? - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Medicine & Why Do We Need It? | AUC - February 16th, 2023
- Preventive Medicine | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - December 3rd, 2022
- Migraine - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic - December 3rd, 2022
- Functional Medicine of Idaho | Preventative Root Cause Medicine - December 3rd, 2022
- These 2 Staten Island nurses believe IV hydration drips and vitamin shots are key to long-term health - SILive.com - December 3rd, 2022
- CNBCTV-18 and IIM-K's India@2047 Leadership Series: Challenges and opportunities in the fintech and healthcare sectors - Forbes India - December 3rd, 2022
- As N.W.T. mulls health coverage changes, petition calls for preventative HIV drug to be free - CBC.ca - September 20th, 2022
- EU regulator backs wider use of AstraZeneca COVID therapy - Reuters - September 20th, 2022
- Choose integrative medicine for health and wellness - Technique - September 20th, 2022
- The high hospital bills we make victims of rape and sexual violence pay - Vox.com - September 20th, 2022
- 4 Anti-Aging Products Youre Using All Wrong, According To Skincare Experts - SheFinds - September 20th, 2022
- Why Now is the Time to Double Down on Virtual Care - HIT Consultant - September 20th, 2022
- Tell Giselle: The price of good help is priceless - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader - September 20th, 2022
- Heron Therapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Approval of APONVIE (HTX-019) for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) - BioSpace - September 20th, 2022
- Pickleball injuries are on the rise: 5 preventive tips to keep you on the court - The Manual - September 20th, 2022
- The next big social movement and other takeaways from our regular meeting - POLITICO - September 20th, 2022
- 15 Mushrooms and How to Use Them in Vegan Cooking - VegNews - September 20th, 2022
- Use of honey in the management of Chemotherapy | CMAR - Dove Medical Press - September 20th, 2022
- Celebrity Strategy Consultant Predicts What Will Be The Most Impactful Area In The Pharmaceutical Industry - Forbes - September 20th, 2022
- C2C Care Course The Preservation of Our Global Photographic Heritage: Here, There and Everywhere - aam-us.org - August 3rd, 2022
- Loneliness: Causes, Effects And Prevention Forbes Health - Forbes - August 3rd, 2022
- Prevention and wellness is the new model, a leader from Henry Ford Health System says - Becker's Hospital Review - August 3rd, 2022
- FACT SHEET: White House Summit on Building Lasting Eviction Prevention Reform - The White House - August 3rd, 2022
- Getting Back to Employer Health and Wellness Programs - Cone Health - August 3rd, 2022
- Do ICDs Still Work in Primary Prevention Given Today's HF Meds? - Medscape - August 3rd, 2022
- Alzheimer's-defying brain offers clues to treatment, prevention - Harvard Gazette - August 3rd, 2022
- Wind-fanned lightning fire prompted precautionary evacuation notices near Medical Springs Sunday evening - Baker City Herald - August 3rd, 2022
- Experts discuss importance of cancer screenings and early detection - Merck - August 3rd, 2022
- King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research to test samples for monkeypox - The Hindu - August 3rd, 2022
- Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations - World - ReliefWeb - August 3rd, 2022
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta: While monkeypox cases rise, why are we waiting for the cavalry to rescue us? - CNN - August 3rd, 2022
- SCYNEXIS Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration - GlobeNewswire - August 3rd, 2022
- Governor Whitmer declares August 2022 as Breastfeeding Month, highlights additional breastfeeding observances - Michigan (.gov) - August 3rd, 2022
- New student education program supports drug and alcohol abuse prevention - The Ohio State University News - July 25th, 2022
- Suicide prevention training for health care providers a first step in longer-term efficacy - University of Washington - July 25th, 2022
- Pharmalittle: Congress may miss deadline to pass FDA user-fee bill; ViiV is urged to lower price for its HIV prevention drug - STAT - July 25th, 2022
- Prevention of Bipolar Disorder Episodes: Is It Possible? - PsychCentral.com - July 25th, 2022
- GAO Found Gap in Dirty Bomb Prevention - Government Technology - July 25th, 2022
- Florida man in apparent medical distress crashes car through beach crowd before hitting the water - CNN - July 25th, 2022
- Study: Preventive care scarce in LGBTQ+ community - - Medical Marketing and Media - July 25th, 2022
- The rise of preventive insurance purchases in India - ETHealthWorld - July 25th, 2022
- Why Are My Feet Always Cold? Cold Feet Causes and Treatment - Prevention Magazine - July 25th, 2022
- Agency looking to open overdose prevention site in Saint John amid 'poisoned' drug supply - CBC.ca - July 25th, 2022
- UVA Expert Offers Insight on the Use of Dietary Supplements for Cancer Prevention - UVA Today - July 25th, 2022
- Alzheimer's: Targeting key protein in blood may slow progression - Medical News Today - July 25th, 2022
- NPPC, FAS focused on ASF prevention in the Philippines - MEAT+POULTRY - July 25th, 2022
- Implementation of IPT in people living with HIV | RMHP - Dove Medical Press - July 25th, 2022
- NL starts preventive vaccination against monkeypox in Amsterdam, The Hague - NL Times - July 25th, 2022
- Precautionary measures you can take against brain haemorrhage - Times of India - July 25th, 2022
- Acid Reflux and Liver Disease: Signs, Symptoms and Prevention - Healthline - July 25th, 2022
- What to do if you get an allergic reaction: symptoms, causes, and prevention - Fox News - July 25th, 2022
- How one woman took control of her rare disease and achieved her dream - Times of Oman - July 25th, 2022
- Tilman Fertitta donating $50 million to UH medical school, which will be renamed after him - Houston Chronicle - May 20th, 2022
- This new 3D screensaver collection includes a driving tour of global pylons - Rock Paper Shotgun - May 20th, 2022
- Dedication, generosity and compassion that had no limit! - The Sun Chronicle - May 20th, 2022
- Manhattan internist and cardiologist, Dr. William Priester collaborates with Castle Connolly Private Health Partners to create a new concierge medical... - May 20th, 2022
- Tips on avoiding mosquitos this summer - morethanthecurve.com - May 20th, 2022
- Nanomedicine and HIV Therapeutics - AZoNano - May 20th, 2022
- The HIV Vaccine: What We Know, And What We Don't - MadameNoire - May 20th, 2022
- What we know (and don't know) about North Korea's COVID-19 outbreak - WCVB Boston - May 20th, 2022
- Experts warn of health effects from dusty conditions as sandstorm blankets UAE - Al Arabiya English - May 20th, 2022
- Statin therapy: Does the gut microbiome affect outcomes? - Medical News Today - May 20th, 2022
- New Preventative Medicine Facility Wraps Work in NYC - Healthcare Construction and Operations News - November 7th, 2021
- MPD working with faith-based leaders to fight violent crime - FOX13 Memphis - November 7th, 2021
- Cornell grad and lecturer touts benefits of plant-based diet - ithaca.com - November 7th, 2021
- Meet the Cork-born bread activist who has Goldie Hawn buying her loaves - Irish Examiner - November 7th, 2021
- Pfizer says pill cuts risk of severe Covid by 89% - RTE.ie - November 7th, 2021
- The roots of ivermectin mania: How South America incubated a fake-medicine craze that took the US by storm - Yahoo News - November 7th, 2021