Canada is prepared for this coronavirus: researcher
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Maybe it’s time for some positive news about the Wuhan coronavirus.
Dr. Ross Upshur of the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health wants all Canadians to know we’re in a good position to manage whatever comes our way in this concerning scenario.
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We’ve lived through SARS, H1N1, MERS and even Zika, says Upshur, “… and all along the way our response to communicable diseases has improved.
“With SARS, nobody knew what they were even dealing with in the beginning. There was no plan in place for this kind of public health threat … now we have a fully engaged public health organization working closely with clinical colleagues and providing them with information — working seamlessly together.
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“We have the tools and we have the skills.”
Furthermore, says Dr. Upshur, we already have the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus and the response is global, involving the World Health Organization and public health leaders everywhere.
Of course, there are new mutations with each epidemic.
As Upshur points out, several of these epidemics — including SARS, MERS, H1N1 and this new coronavirus — are all zoonotic — they began with animal to human transmission. “Somewhere along the line our interactions with the animal world will have to change.”
He also admits to a few misgivings about the role social media could play as the coronavirus story unfolds across the world.
“We’re going to find out how social media functions in an outbreak situation,” he says, pointing out that these platforms are fully enabled now and more front-and-centre than they would have been during the H1N1 crisis (the so-called ‘swine ‘flu) in 2009.
His concern is that clear messages to the community will be replaced with ‘alternative’ messages generated by social media.
“Misinformation and false claims can impair public health and clinical response. Public health sends clear messages to the health community,” Upshur said.
“We have to be sure we’re all using the same playbook.”
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