B.C. hospitals can put COVID-positive and negative patients in same rooms: top doctor
Patients who don’t have COVID-19 could end up in the same B.C. hospital rooms as patients who do have the virus.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed Friday that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 while admitted to a hospital for other reasons is permitted to be treated in rooms with those who tested negative for the virus.
That would only happen “with additional (COVID-19) precautions in place, as we would for people admitted with other respiratory illnesses,” she said.
Sarah Adams’ husband has been hospitalized at Vancouver General Hospital for three months, slowly recovering from a serious illness not related to COVID-19.
“This shocks me,” she told CTV News. “Why would you put someone who you know has COVID into a room with someone who you know doesn’t?”
Health officials acknowledged it’s not an ideal scenario, but one hospitals across the province may need to consider. With the record number of COVID-related hospitalizations, some acute care facilities might not have enough space to continue keeping test-positive patients separated from others.
“That is an infection prevention and control team decision, made at a hospital-by-hospital, room-by-room basis, depending on the needs in that facility,” said Henry.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said it comes down to managing hospital space as best as possible.
“The challenge of having more people in hospital is the challenge of cohorting everybody becoming much more difficult,” he said. “That’s why we have on site infection control teams taking charge of the situation.”
Fraser Health did not provide CTV News with details on how hospitals in that health authority will approach the mixing of patients with and without COVID-19. Vancouver Coastal Health did not respond to a request for more information.
Adams fears the progress her husband has made during his months-long recovery could be upended if he catches COVID-19. While she trusts the health-care system in general, she thinks the province is making a mistake with this policy.
“I feel like I’m leaving my loved one to be in a room with someone who could get him potentially even sicker than he is now.”
If someone with COVID-19 is moved into a room with people who don’t have the virus, Adams says hospital staff should be required to share that information with the other patients and their families.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.