Regional Health Unit Preparing to Begin Mass Inoculation - Putting the Infrastructure in Place Now

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

February 20th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Working our way through winter days that at times have a beauty of their own; getting some of the needed exercises shoveling snow.

Living with the expectation that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that all we have to do is follow the rules that have been explained very well.

PHU data Feb 20

This is where the outbreaks have taken place

Some of the messaging doesn’t get through. While reporting to the Regional Council Dr. Hamida Meghani said that if people choose to get out to a restaurant there shouldn’t be more than four at a table and that all four should be from the same household. Not two people from one household and the other two people from a different household.

The Regional Public Health Unit is producing solid data that gives a promising picture.  The unit is in the process of going through a phase that will see it continue to handle the identification of new infections and follow up on the tracing that helps determine where the infections came from.  The arrival of variants to Covid19 makes that job much harder and calls for an even faster response.  A tough task for a unit that is already overloaded.

COVID-org-structure-1-690x344

Facilities and logistics group has worked with Human Resources to recruit the 400 nursing people that will be needed to do inoculations for up to 12 hours a day – seven days a week once the required vaccines have arrived.

On top of it all they are putting in place the procedures needed to begin the mass inoculation that will begin hours after the vaccines arrive.

Dr. Meghani works with a team that is now seasoned and beginning to be able to keep at least half a step ahead of the pandemic many don’t really fully understand.

During the most recent update given to Regional Council Dr. Meghani was seen to actually chuckle – just a bit, while responding to a question.  There haven’t been all that many occasions for her to slip away from the sobering side of the possible outcomes if the variant Covid19 infections get out of control.  I suspect this keeps her awake at night

PHU case locations

This is where the infections are being found. For Burlington the east end of the city has the highest rate.

PHU Virus spread Feb 19

The hospitalization rate and the effective reproduction number are what support the view that we are getting ahead of the virus.

phu Testing - capacity

The very legitimate fear that the hospitals would not be able to cope with the number of people needing serious care would become a reality – the current numbers indicate that – so far – so good.

PHN Public capacity

The Public Health Unit has been able to reach 93% of those people who have become newly infected in one day; This is critical in identifying the source of the infection.

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1 comment to Regional Health Unit Preparing to Begin Mass Inoculation – Putting the Infrastructure in Place Now

  • Diane Knox

    Please continue to update us on the plans for the many Single, Independent Seniors Living Alone 80-100- still in Burlington. Main concerns are Communication of details and Accessibility of sites… Many rely on Telephone, TV. Public transit /or walking.. Not all have computer Angels, or church community connections now. So, contact connections will be critical to reach this very vulnerable group