Monkeypox patients in Ontario must be isolated in health-care settings
Health-care workers treating patients with monkeypox should use proper N95 masks, eye protection and isolation protocols similar to those of COVID-19, officials say.
In an infection prevention and control document released this month, Public Health Ontario says that while historically monkeypox has been limited to prolonged face-to-face contact or skin-to-skin contact with a lesion, “the possible transmission during the prodromal period and similarities to variola virus (smallpox), the potential for airborne transmission has been suggested.”
As such, these patients should be placed in an airborne isolation room with negative pressure ventilation when being treated in a health-care setting.
If this isn’t available, public health Ontario says the patient can be placed in a single room with the door closed.
When neither option is available, officials say “precautions should be taken to minimize exposure to surrounding individuals.”
Health-care workers must wear a fit-tested and seal-checked N-95 respirator, gloves, gown, and eye protection.
Public Health Ontario says these precautions should be maintained until scabbing has fallen off and new skin is present.
This is in stark contrast to how COVID-19 was dealt with back in early 2020, when health-care workers were not provided with adequate PPE while dealing with serious outbreaks in both hospitals and long-term care.
In April 2020, the Ontario Nurses Association sought a court injunction to force some long term-care homes to provide staff with items like N95 facial respirators. At the time, the association argued that in some cases, homes locked the masks up and “actively dissuaded nurses from using the precise PPE that they have deemed necessary.”
It appears as though Ontario health officials are acting swiftly to contain possible spread of this virus. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health issued an order to health-care providers on Friday requiring them to report any possible or suspected cases of monkeypox to local authorities.
There has only been one suspected case of monkeypox in Ontario so far. It was identified in a Toronto man who had contact with someone who recently travelled from Montreal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
WATCH LIVE 'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.