Hospitals giving 'best shot' to keep COVID-19 out, despite outbreaks, says HDGH chief of staff

The chief of staff at Htel-Dieu Grace Healthcaresays it's nearly impossible to keep COVID-19 out of hospitals, given the levels of the virus in the community, but it's not for lack of trying.

"We really are giving it our best shot but we are fighting a very infectious virus right now," Dr. Andrea Steen, chief of staff at HDGH, said on CBC Radio'sWindsor Morning Tuesday.

Htel-DieuGraceisfacing a new outbreak, just over a weekafter a major outbreak with 61 caseswas declared resolved.

The latestoutbreak, on 3N in the Dr. Y. Emara Centre for Healthy Aging and Mobility,involves five people three patients and twostaff.

There are currently three other hospital outbreaks at Windsor Regional Hospital,and the Htel-Dieu GraceCrisis and Mental Wellness Centre was also recently under outbreak.

Steensaidall patients on the floor currently in outbreakhave been tested, and will be tested again in the coming days. Staff will be tested for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday.

She said that while it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of outbreaks, theyreflect the high numberof casesin the region.

"When you see the numbers that we have in the community, you can understand where patients either coming into the hospital, or staff or even visitors can be carrying the virus, unbeknownst to them," she said.

There is some evidence, however, that cases in the regionare beginning to plateau.The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said last Friday that a few key indicators, including case rates, saw small weekly declines.

And on Monday, the health unit reported 35 just cases, though it was unclear whether there could be another explanation for the dramatic decrease from the usual case counts.

Steen said the new numbers are encouraging, though she'd like to see more days of declines before getting "excited."

She hopes the lower numbers reflect the measures people are taking to protect themselves and their families from the virus.

"We're seeing evidence that people are doing what's being asked of them by public healthand I'm hoping that will translate into these lower numbers," she said.