THUNDER BAY - The best way fight the spread of COVID-19 is testing as many people as possible, and while testing across the province has increased after lagging behind the rest of the country, locally the Thunder Bay Health Unit is expanding its criteria for testing, with the highest priority focusing on healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit said in a media release issued on Wednesday that people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are being referred to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Assessment Centre for testing.
“Testing people for the COVID-19 virus is a very important strategy in this pandemic, not only to assess how many cases are in our communities, but also so public health can quickly follow-up with the individual with COVID-19 as well as others who may have been exposed to the virus and reduce any ongoing spread,” said Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
“Working with our health system partners, we continue to advocate for ongoing expansion of testing and testing capacity in this area.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever of 38C or higher, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, runny nose, chills, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea.
The highest priority for testing includes symptomatic healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities or communal living spaces such as correctional facilities, shelters, or group homes, travellers returning from outside Northwestern Ontario in the last 14 days, those living in remote, rural, isolated, or Indigenous communities, and anyone who has come into close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Others encouraged to seek out testing include symptomatic individuals living with a healthcare professional and those working in critical services such as grocery stores, food service, and transportation workers.
The Health Unit says all those listed as priority for testing must be symptomatic.
“Testing really helps and testing as many people as we can would be ideal,” DeMille said earlier this week. “But there are limitations and supplies and lab capacity to be able to do that. We have been successful at increasing our testing and even in the last week working with the Thunder Bay Regional and their assessment centre for example here in Thunder Bay. I’m pleased to see the numbers going up. We are always willing to have the conversation about increasing the testing even more than that.”
Test results are usually returned within two or three days. A self-assessment tool is also available online and those who are tested can now get access to results online.
Anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should first self-isolate and then call the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at 807-625-5900 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630.
