The following was provided to the Driftwood by Lady Minto Hospital chief of staff Dr. Holly Slakov. Note that individuals should have one of the 4 listed exposures as well as the respiratory symptoms outlined.
COVID-19 testing is recommended for:
SYMPTOMATIC patients with respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19, including fever, cough, malaise/fatigue, rhinorrhoea, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain.
AND one or more of the following exposures in the 14 days PRIOR to symptom onset:
1) Confirmed high-risk contact* with a known COVID-19 case
2) Received credible notification that they were in contact or may have been in contact with a COVID-19 case (e.g. mass gathering, specific public setting, visited/worked at COVID outbreak facility)
3) Household contact of an ill international traveller within 14 days of the traveller’s arrival
4) Travel outside of Canada (within 14 ays of onset of symptoms)
* A high-risk close contact is defined by the BC Centre for Disease Control as a person who:
• provided care for the case, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact (e.g., intimate partner) without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment, OR
• who lived with or otherwise had close prolonged (refer to 1 above) contact (within 2 metres) with a probable or confirmed case while the case was ill, OR
• had direct contact with infectious body fluids of a probable or confirmed case (e.g., was coughed or sneezed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment