Sask. doctors dealing first-hand with COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is starting to turn up in members of Saskatchewan’s medical community.

The president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, Dr. Allan Woo, issued a statement Thursday in which he confirmed he had been tested for the virus on Tuesday and the results came back positive on Wednesday.

He believes he contracted the virus at a curling bonspiel March 11-14 in Edmonton that he said attracts 50 to 60 doctors from across Western Canada.

“As I write this, I am reminded that physicians are not invincible,” Woo said in his statement. “The risks of this pandemic are far too real. I hope my personal situation serves as a signal for all health-care workers, and others, to be vigilant about their health.

“Everyone needs to take precautions and self-monitor for any symptoms.”

Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said there is an investigation ongoing about who else may have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.

“My understanding is, at this point, that there was an event in Edmonton where there were physicians and maybe others. This investigation involves two provinces at least, but all that information is being collected and communicated to all the provinces from where people may have come to that event, ” Shahab explained. “And what happens as part of the case investigation is that details are sought about where each of the participants were, did certain people sit together as a group and mix more than others?

“And based on that, a determination will be made shortly, in a day or two, that asks does this involve all persons who attended, is it more of a risk to people who were more closely tied to each other, so that’s how the investigation progresses. Initially, all the people are alerted that they need to wait for that assessment, so they will be in self-isolation, but ultimately it doesn’t mean everyone is identified as a close contact.”

Dr. Ankit Kapur is in the same situation as Woo.

The Regina-based doctor was exposed to a patient who tested positive for COVID-19, so Kapur has gone into self-isolation for 14 days.

He reached Day 5 on Thursday, when he spoke to the Greg Morgan Morning show.

“I live in a house with other health-care providers — my wife is a family doctor — so the first thing we did was to isolate me from everyone else so we have no risk of contamination,” Kapur said.

“I was notified pretty quickly after the (patient’s) test came back, so I was able to move out of my home and into separate accommodations and I haven’t left those for the last — well, this will be my fifth day now …

“I brought with me enough food and enough work to keep me busy.”

Kapur said he takes his vital signs three times a day and has yet to see any symptoms of the virus. But he has seen his two-year-old daughter — at least on a computer screen. He said he tries to FaceTime her regularly to maintain some contact with her.

“(Digital communication is) really useful,” Kapur said when asked how he fights boredom. “I also try to think this is a time where we all have been called to serve.

“The truckers, the merchant mariners, the aircrews — they’re moving supplies. The infrastructure guys are keeping those networks and those telecommunications open and our power and natural gas (flowing).

“We all have a role to serve and to focus on that role and to try to really do the best we can in the situation we’re in, that will help us all. Those are the things I try to focus on to stay positive.”

Kapur said it’s very important for those who are self-isolating to stay away from family members in their homes and to maintain “as much sterility as you can.” That includes using separate dishes, doing laundry at different times and trying to minimize touching common surfaces.

Public health officials are urging people who are out and about to practise social distancing — a message that which Kapur believes is sinking in.

“It’s overwhelming how much the media has supported and how much the government has supported this idea of social distancing,” he said. “It’s our largest and strongest tool in the fight against this pandemic. I think people are getting the message.”