Just like everywhere else in the country, Albertans are being told to stay home and for the most part are doing just that.
And while we have lots in common with the ways people in all provinces and territories are trying to keep COVID-19 at bay, Albertans have one particular advantage.
The rate of testing for COVID-19 is higher here than in any other province. It’s higher than any jurisdiction in North America.
As of March 20 Alberta had conducted 20,320 COVID-19 tests or 461 per 100,000 people. Ontario’s rate was 95 per 100,000 people, Quebec’s 91, according to statistics compiled by CBC Calgary reporter Robson Fletcher using data from provincial health authorities and Statistics Canada.
You might wonder how this all came about given that for months now Jason Kenney’s UCP government has been at war with doctors, nurses, health care workers and the public health care system in general.
Nurses were told there would be layoffs. Doctors were facing reduced fees. More privatization of surgeries and treatments was on the way.
All of this was on Kenney’s agenda — some of it still is part of the provincial budget that he hastily passed last week — even as COVID-19 was making headway in Alberta and other provinces.
Throughout all that, and fortunately for us, Alberta’s chief medical officer, Deena Hinshaw, and her team ignored the ongoing politics and focused on proven ways to contain spread of the virus.
When the outbreak began in China and testing became available in Canada, Alberta Health Services’ publicly owned lab system procured testing kits from the national lab and started building local capacity, Hinshaw said last week during one of her daily live streamed updates.
Then, if through testing someone was found to have the virus, all their contacts were traced and tested as well.
Testing is focused on individuals who have developed symptoms within 14 days of returning from outside Canada or have had contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the illness. If people have concerns about symptoms they can get help through an 811 number and there is also an online symptom assessment tool.
Testing has been ramping up as the number of cases increased. Last Tuesday, Alberta performed more than 2,000 tests for the first time in a single day. On Wednesday, just over 2,900 were completed and then another 2,800 on Thursday. The provincial labs are now running their testing 24/7. Medical students and other health care students have been recruited to help with the effort
“So they have people who they’ve cross-trained to come in, so their equipment doesn’t sit idle,” Hinshaw said. “I just can’t say enough about the work of the lab and how amazing they’ve been.”
As of Sunday, 259 people in Alberta have been diagnosed with COVID-19. One person has died. Twenty of Alberta’s total cases cannot be traced to recent travel so are likely the result of community spread. Eighteen people are in hospital, seven in ICU.
Besides over seeing Alberta’s major testing efforts, Hinshaw herself, has become a sort of guardian angel figure. She gives daily briefings, which are broadcast live and in which she manages to sound calm, kind and compassionate while being completely open and truthful about the number of people infected and the precautions that must be taken to prevent further spread.
All of this even though it has been only just over a year since she was appointed to the position by Rachel Notley’s NDP government.
Premier Kenney has been quick to praise her work too. And, of course, he likes to boast that Alberta’s testing rate is so much higher than other jurisdictions.
The UCP government has finally retreated when it comes to layoffs for nurses. And for the time being they have rescinded their efforts to reduce doctors’ fees. And we are not hearing much about privatization these days.
Suddenly our public health care system isn’t seen as a drain on provincial government funds but a public service that is vital to the health and well being of everyone; vital to the well-being of the economy.
As it should be.
