we are on the highest level of alert to
the highest level of risk assessment in
terms of spread and in terms of impact
but that is not in order to alarm or
scare people if we say there's a
pandemic of coronavirus we're
essentially accepting that every human
on the planet will be exposed to that
virus the data does not support that as
yes hoping for the best but preparing
for the worst that was the message today
from the World Health Organization as
the corona virus continues to spread
across the globe
more than 83,000 cases have now been
confirmed in more than 50 countries
today Mexico Lithuania New Zealand
Iceland and Nigeria reported their first
cases fear of a pandemic also sent
investors for the exit for a seventh
straight trading day after yesterday's
historic drop markets again suffered
triple digit losses take a look at your
screen there lots of red here in Canada
Quebec reported its first presumptive
case and Ontario confirmed its seventh
case both involves someone who recently
returned from Iran a country
experiencing one of the worst outbreaks
outside of China 15 Canadians in total
have now been infected so how should you
be preparing for a possible pandemic and
how close is this to being declared one
dr. Teresa Tam is Canada's chief public
health officer and dr. Tam joins me now
here in studio hi doctor nice to see you
thanks for coming in let's talk about
first your expectations where the
classification of this is concerned and
by that I mean we're all watching the
whu-oh to say see if or when they
declare this a pandemic so far today
they they have not they fell short of
that do you expect this will become a
pandemic well I think that day by day
things are sort of evolving quite
rapidly so we're now seeing over 50
country with cases I would think that
this is a very difficult virus to stop
you know in its tracks so I think
actually the most prudent thing to do is
prepare for a pandemic ahead of time so
that's where we're at in tangible terms
what does preparing for a pandemic mean
I think you can look at papayas and
several different ways us an individual
I think you can prepare ahead of time
two one is it's like everyday
preparedness sort of one protect
yourself from getting sick which
includes washing your hands very
regularly try and maintain some distance
from someone who's sick if you do get
sick it is actually really important to
protect others particularly in this case
this coronavirus is particularly serious
for the older age groups and those with
underlying medical conditions to protect
them you really should stay at home with
your sick you should cover your cough
wash your hands and do all those
sensible things that we tell people to
do every flu season what I mean we also
suggest to people that if you are gonna
be at home for a significant period of
time just like any other emergency make
sure you have enough medication that you
normally need make sure you make some
plans for how your kids or your
dependents gonna be looked after maybe
talk to your employer ahead of time for
more flexible work arrangements whether
it's telework cross-training of other
people to sort of step into your job so
these are actually things that we think
that everyone can prepare ahead of time
I just wanna be clear though are you
saying to Canadians to do that in light
of the potential spread of coronavirus
like are these specific recommendations
based on where the virus is at right now
yes I think based on the fact that the
virus is spreading in many countries I
think is a good time to remind all
Canadians that although these sound like
your basic things that you do every flu
season it is really important for you to
rehearse talk to your kids talk to your
family and and and keep practicing these
kind of measures what about preparedness
where the health system more largely is
concerned my understanding is this week
you had said that you were collecting
data essentially from there your
provincial counterparts and trying to
figure out it what kind of supplies
hospitals have that kind of thing why is
that data now now just being assembled
could it have been assembled earlier
should it have been well I think right
now
it's the public health system has been
in constant you know work mode ever
since we first heard about this virus
and but I mean the system that
identifies cases and their contacts and
make sure we identify all the contacts
and limit spread to the community so
that is really really active right now
if you look at China and Singapore and
places like that where they've managed
to actually reduce their outbreaks and
put a fence around the outbreak itself
those are the basic measures that we
have to do in Canada should we get
communities spread so the which is why
staying home when you're sick listening
to public health when you're close
contacts to stay at home is a sort of
societal response that really helps
reduce the impact of the pen you know
any kind of pandemic coming up the
Health System of course should be
preparing we've had pandemic plans for a
substantial period of time every winter
hospitals get a sort of exercise of
sorts but it is really just another
refresh another relook at what the
requirements might be there are gonna be
some tough decisions that health systems
have to make when there are a lot of
patients and including you know
prioritizing your beds for those who are
most in need you may need to cancel
elective surgeries and that type of
thing but we've done this before in
previous outbreaks and pandemics so so I
think our system has those plans and
infection prevention control measures it
is a matter of just really looking at
this in light of what we know about this
virus help us understand based on what
we do know about this virus when you
talk about a country for example like
China which has which has put a lot of
effort into containing it there the
differences that we still see regardless
of that now the spread of the virus
elsewhere in the world why is that
happening we have we saw so much
coverage of the actions China was taking
in the actions other some other
countries is it because not all
countries are as stringent or what
happened well some of the measures have
worked but by containment we well the
the objective
to delay their spread to Canada and
delay the spread of our community a
virus knows no borders so someone who's
infected can be completely asymptomatic
as they're crossing the sort of
international network of planes ships
and other vehicles a virus that can
cause mild symptoms 80% of people with
coronavirus based on the largest study
today have mild illness so while people
with mild illness can be walking around
and and spread this so there is no
actual geographical border that can stop
viruses with these kind of
characteristics so it is our objective
to still lay the spread in Canada at
least until the current flu season is
over because what that does is reduces
the simultaneous impact on our health
systems there are a lot of people
watching tonight I imagine who have
travel plans for March break what is
your advice where travel is concerned
and in particular what is your advice
where travel to countries where we are
seeing the spread of this virus in
particular right now what is your advice
for travel to those countries well I
think as my global affairs colleagues
would say read register and reach out so
by reading it means get yourself
informed about where exactly is the
coronavirus right now so depends on
where you're traveling even within the
country that could be areas affected and
there is a not register yourself and we
tell Canadians going overseas to make
sure you register so that our embassies
and and other departments would know
your whereabouts the other thing is
reads up on how you protect yourself
from illness when you're traveling and
during during your travel those hygienic
measures read about what the local
situation is when you're there but also
when you return this is really really
important
monitor yourself for illness for 14 days
in this case for the corona virus the
moment you get sick stay home isolate
yourself and call your health provider
if everybody can do that I
that will reduce the speed the spread or
introduction to Canada significantly but
you're not recommending everyone cancel
their marks break plans at this point at
this point no but you because it's very
differential risk but if you're elderly
and you have underlying medical
conditions talk to your health provider
because is it a risk that you should
take where exactly are you going and I
think one particular setting that people
are concerned about are cruise ships for
example so before you go on a cruise and
many people like to take cruises is many
of them are actually cancelled so also
call back to your cruise ship companies
to say well what are your policies many
of them are screening people before they
let you go onboard if you're from any of
the affected areas you're not getting on
board during your cruise again maintain
hygienic measures the moment you get
sick get into your cabin and call the
ship's clinic because there are
protocols in place for how ships can
manage illness on board if you don't do
that early enough that could spread if
you do that early enough inform someone
things can be done to limit spreads okay
I'll leave it there thank you dr. Tam
appreciate your time as always it's my
pleasure
hi I'm Vasu Capello's host of power in
politics see more of our show by
subscribing to the CBC news channel or
click the link for another video