Health Unit monitoring Coronavirus

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By Nick Seebruch
Health Unit monitoring Coronavirus

CORNWALL, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) announced on Friday that it is working with regional, provincial, and national heath agencies to monitor the global spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

The Coronavirus comes from the same family of respiratory illnesses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)  and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).

First cases of the virus appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. As of Saturday, Jan. 25, there were more than 1,300 reported cases worldwide. No cases of the Coronavirus have yet to be identified in Canada.

The EOHU considers the possibility of the virus posing a risk to residents in the region and Canada to be low. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, and fever.

“To be cautious, we are continuing to monitor the situation in China and internationally. Although the
risk to our region is considered low at this point, we are prepared to respond to any potential cases in
our area should they occur,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health at the Eastern
Ontario Health Unit.

Those at risk are limited to persons who have visited Wuhan, China within the last 14 days or persons who had contact with those infected with the virus 14 days prior to their symptoms emerging.

The Health Unit recommends that those who have travelled to China, particularly Wuhan, should monitor themselves for symptoms for up to 14 days after travelling.

For more information, visit the EOHU’s website at www.eohu.ca, or call 613-933-1375 or 1 800 267-7120. Information and updates are also available at Public Health Agency of Canada, 2019 Novel Coronavirus infection (Wuhan, China): Outbreak update.

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