What does an outbreak at a hospital really mean?

TORONTO -- What does it mean when on top of caring for the sick, there is an outbreak of COVID-19 at a hospital?

Toronto Public Health told CTV News Toronto it’s using a provincial definition to declare a COVID-19 outbreak in a hospital setting: two health care associated cases, patients and/or staff, within 14 days.

According to Toronto’s Public Health spokesperson and Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey, an outbreak means that there may have been spread in the health-care facility.

“Infection prevention and control measures are put in place when an outbreak is declared to prevent further spread of infection and to control the outbreak to protect patients and staff.”

Veronica Morera’s four-month-old child is a patient at the Hospital for Sick Children and says she was left confused after an outbreak was declared at the facility.

“I think we just don’t really understand what’s going on and it’s very confusing as to how you can protect yourself really.”

The hospital said one patient on the hematology/oncology floor, their parents and a member of the clinical team tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

A second unrelated patient on a different floor also contracted the virus.

“It obviously creates a heightened level of sensitivity,” said SickKids CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn.

Cohn said with the low threshold, and such a prolonged pandemic, an outbreak was inevitable, but the teams have come together in an outstanding way. 

“What changes now is that all patients on the outbreak floor are under droplet precautions. We’re really taking an abundance of caution for every patient, every family member and staff member,” Cohn said.

“I think it’s important for you to know that all children on this floor have been tested, are negative, and we are now testing every staff member who spent a prolonged period of time on the floor, over 90 per cent of those tests have already come back negative,” he said.

The outbreak at SickKids also means the affected patients are being cared for on a unit with dedicated procedures. 

At North York General Hospital, which is also dealing with an outbreak, three patients tested positive in a unit that services patients with complex medical issues. 

“All other patients on the unit have been tested and are negative. There are no staff positive cases,” a spokesperson said in an email to CTV News Toronto.

“North York General Hospital continues to provide safe care. In partnership with Toronto Public Health, the Infection Prevention and Control team at North York General has implemented all the appropriate measures to protect patients and staff and limit the risk of further transmission.”

The city has been tracking outbreaks at hospitals and long-term care homes since the onset of the virus in Toronto.

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said that the risk of the virus spreading in hospitals is mitigated with things like established outbreak management practices.

“All premised on the best available science, involving those with specialized training infectious diseases and infection control,” said de Villa who added while there is concern, there is also reason to rest assured.