Pediatric illnesses levelling off despite crisis at CHEO, Ford says
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says respiratory illnesses among children in Ontario are levelling off, even as CHEO is calling in the Canadian Red Cross to deal with an unprecedented surge in patients.
Ford says Ontario's chief medical officer of health told him the number of children sick with the flu, RSV and COVID-19 is no longer increasing.
"The good news is, talking to the chief medical officer, we're seeing the pediatric illness actually level. Up in Ottawa, they're seeing a spike, but here in Toronto we're seeing it level off," Ford told reporters in Ingersoll, Ont. on Monday.
Ford made the remarks when he was asked about CHEO requesting assistance from the Canadian Red Cross. The premier said he has been in "constant communication" with CHEO officials, and heaped praise on the hospital's CEO Alex Munter.
"He's done an incredible job thinking outside the box," he said. "He comes up with the best ideas, he texts them over to me, and then we implement them. So he's doing a great job."
Ford says CHEO is seeing the high volumes of illness because they're the only hospital in the region that takes care of pediatric care.
CHEO's chief nursing executive said over the weekend that a small team of Red Cross staff will start this week at the hospital.
"This will allow some of our redeployed staff to go back to their regular roles," Tammy DiGiovanni said in an email to CTV News Ottawa.
CHEO has been seeing a surge in patients with respiratory viruses this fall, forcing the hospital to cancel non-urgent surgeries and procedures, open a second pediatric intensive care unit and redeploy staff from surgical and medical care units.
RSV PEAKING BUT FLU KEEPS GOING UP: MUNTER
Speaking to CTV News, Munter said the hospital believes it has reached or may be beyond the peak for RSV, but flu cases continue to climb.
"We are seeing volumes of demand that we have never seen at CHEO, in terms of numbers in the emergency department needing to be admitted with RSV, flu and COVID," he said.
Testing positivity for influenza in Ottawa was 27.5 per cent for the week of Nov. 20 to 26. It was 11.1 per cent in Toronto according to Toronto Public Health.
Munter says the hospital will have two teams of nine Red Cross staff working overnight to start and some will move to daytime shifts closer to New Year's.
"They will be in clinical support roles and that means they will be helping the nurses, the doctors, the respiratory therapists, and others," Munter explained. "They are there to support the clinical staff and make things run smoother."
Munter praised the Red Cross for its international work but also said the organization does a lot of good work here in Canada.
"Just as we are grateful to accept the help of other hospitals, of community physicians--we are delighted that the Red Cross has some people that are able to come to CHEO and work those overnight shifts," he said. "That will allow us to send clinic staff back to their main jobs so we can cancel fewer appointments and fewer surgeries."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.