Alberta has its first ‘presumptive’ cases as officials downplay risk
By Medicine Hat News on March 2, 2021.
The first cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta in early March last year. A press release from March 5 issued at 1:40 p.m. by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, said a woman in her fifties from the Calgary zone was the first “presumptive” case. The patient had recently returned from a Grand Princess cruise ship in California. “We take this extremely seriously, and are doing all we can to minimize risk and to keep Albertans safe,” Hinshaw said at the time. “While some may be concerned, I remind Albertans that the risk is still low in our province. We are already taking the necessary precautions to prevent the infection from spreading.” Minister of Health Tyler Shandro reiterated that swift action was already taking place to protect the public and health-care workers. At this stage, COVID-19 tests were first being done at the Alberta laboratory, and if the result was positive it was considered a “presumptive case.” Another test would then be done at the national Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to confirm the result. By March 6, the next day, there was a second presumptive case – a male in his 40s in the Edmonton zone who had returned from travel in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. Hinshaw said the source of the infection was more likely a travel companion who had previously been on a cruise ship. “While I know some Albertans many be concerned by a second case, this is not unexpected,” Hinshaw said on March 6, 2020. “The risk to Albertans is still considered low. We have already isolated this individual and are taking swift action to implement immediate precautions to prevent the infection form spreading.” There were already 45 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 across Canada. Alberta had done 375 COVID tests to date. All travellers from outside Canada were advised to monitor for symptoms, and anyone who developed symptoms could call HealthLink to see if a test should be done. The News carried a Canadian Press story in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Canada’s decision not to close its borders to foreign nationals coming from regions where the outbreak was spreading. Trudeau is quoted as having said a “knee-jerk reaction” to the respiratory disease would not keep people safe. A spokesperson for Alberta Health stated on March 6, 2020: “The current evidence indicates that this illness is not airborne but spread through droplet and contact means.” Alberta Health’s website, at the time, stated the symptoms for “novel coronavirus are similar to those for influenza or other respiratory illnesses,” with the most common being fever, cough and tiredness. “Most people (about 80 per cent) recover from this disease without needing special treatment. Those who are older, and those with other medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness, which can include difficulty breathing and pneumonia. Most cases have reported mild symptoms. However, there is a risk of death in severe cases.” This situation was changing every day. The News will soon bring you the next instalment of how the number of cases escalated rapidly. 16-15
