Two Moncton Hospital Units Basically Blocked by COVID-19 Outbreak – New Brunswick | The Canadian News

A COVID-19 outbreak in Moncton Hospital’s cancer and general surgery units has infected 14 patients and 11 staff members, and is delaying treatment for some patients.

The hospital’s executive director, Christa Wheeler-Thorne, told reporters Tuesday that further spread has been mitigated, but that the two units are essentially on lockdown. There is limited traffic in those areas and no new admissions or transfers are taking place.

“These protocols proved to be very robust,” he said, adding that the outbreak was “under control.”

He noted that there have been no deaths related to this particular outbreak, which is the third at the hospital since September, and that no one “exhibits severe symptoms.”

Most of the patients and staff, he added, have been vaccinated, but he was unable to provide exact numbers.

Wheeler-Thorne said that so far, 23 elective surgeries have had to be postponed.

As for the source of the cases, Dr. Gordon Dow, an infectious disease consultant at Moncton Hospital, said it likely came from a visitor.

After that point, the virus spread.

“The two floors are likely linked. So what happened is that an asymptomatic patient in one floor was transferred to another floor, “he said.

“The bottom line is that the Delta variant is very contagious and can be spread very quickly through common environments. “

While oncology patients are at high risk for complications from COVID-19, Dow said the “good news” is that a high proportion of patients have been vaccinated.

“Interestingly, despite being ill with other underlying conditions like cancer, most of those patients are fine,” he said.

Delayed treatment for some patients

Lisa Collins of Kouchibouguac, NB, spent the weekend in the hospital’s general surgery unit just over a week ago and was surprised to receive a call from Public Health last Tuesday saying she had been exposed to COVID-19.

“They said I was in very close contact, so I don’t know what that means,” he told Global News.

Collins had to immediately self-isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19. His hormonal treatment for neuroendocrine tumors had to be delayed for almost a week as he isolates himself.

“This is scary because you obviously want to get your treatments on time,” he said.

Her doctors have assured her that delaying treatment for a few days is not a problem, but she remains nervous because she was previously told that treatments should be done 28 days apart and no more than three days on either side of that date.

Collins received a negative test for COVID-19 and is due to undergo another test before his isolation is completed next Sunday.

He only received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine because he had a reaction to that first injection, and Collins said his oncologist advised him to postpone the second dose as a precaution.

Colins now plans to receive his second dose as soon as he comes out of isolation.

What could have been done differently

Dow said they won’t declare the outbreak over in the hospital until two viral cycles have passed, in other words, 28 days without new infections.

Once 14 days have passed without broadcast, some restrictions will be lifted.

The hospital, along with other facilities on the Horizon Network, restricted visits as of October 8 due to the increase in cases in the community.

In hindsight, Dow said it wished they had done it sooner.

“I think that’s the most important thing I would have done otherwise,” he said.

However, he noted that outbreaks in hospitals are not unexpected when virus activity is high in the surrounding community.

As for what the hospital could have done to prevent this particular outbreak, Wheeler-Thorne said they will take a closer look at their protocols.

“These are the types of questions that we will ask ourselves in the coming weeks,” he said.

–With a file on Shelley Steeves