Toronto hospital ICU free of COVID-19 patients for first time in 14 months

TORONTO -

A Toronto hospital network says that one of its intensive care units has zero COVID-19 patients for the first time in more than 14 months.

The University Health Network (UHN) posted the good news on social media Wednesday night, saying the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) has been treating COVID-19 patients since March 26, 2020.

“This is the first time the MSICU at Toronto General does not have any COVID Patients,” the hospital network said. “We are very grateful for the extraordinary MSICU team.”

Along with the congratulatory note, the hospital posted a video of their staff clapping and cheering after hearing the news.

“Thank you for your hard work. I feel like I’m going to cry now,” a staff member is heard saying. “Today, we are COVID-free.”

Just a day earlier, Toronto Western Hospital—another hospital within UHN—announced that it was closing its COVID-19 unit.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, who works at the hospital, said that Toronto Western Hospital has cared for 1,698 patients with COVID-19 since January 2020.

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Ontario has significantly declined since the height of the pandemic’s third wave, in which about 900 people were being treated for the disease in intensive care.

As of Wednesday, 377 patients are in intensive care.