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Seniors, doctors brace for COVID-19 in rural eastern Ontario

Seniors, doctors brace for COVID-19 in rural eastern Ontario

For Freeda Higginson, the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic is an eerie reminder of the stories her father used to tell.

"My dad, he was living when the bad flu [arrived] after the First World War. He used to tell us about it, and it makes me think of that a lot," said Higginson, 88.

At the Valley Manor long-term care home in Barry's Bay, Ont., Higginson is cloistered away but happy, keeping busy with books, puzzles and bingo.

For now, there are no cases of COVID-19 among the 90 residents and staff, and as is the case with all senior's facilities across the country, no visitors are allowed.

Staff check with residents frequently, taking their temperature twice a day and sharing photos with residents' family members as the threat of the virus looms.

'Anxious moments' in Renfrew County

Renfrew County, where Valley Manor is located, has a large number of seniors.

Submitted by the Valley Manor Activities Department
Submitted by the Valley Manor Activities Department

"There's no doubt that there's a greater percentage of seniors living in Renfrew County than in the rest of Ontario," said Dr. Robert Cushman, the county's medical officer of health.

Province-wide, the percentage of people older than 60 is about 23 per cent, Cushman said, while Renfrew County is closer to 28 per cent. There's been one COVID-19 death: a woman in her 90s in Pembroke.

The good thing about the county, according to Cushman, is the population is spread out, making physical isolation much easier.

"If you look at the places that have had the worst problems, they're the large urban centres," said Cushman. "So yes, we have more seniors ... but luckily we have some geographic spacing to come to our help."

Cushman said he knows the worst, however, could be yet to come.

"We've had a few anxious moments with long-term care homes and retirement homes. But so far so good," he said.

"And as you notice I'm very tentative when I say that."

Rural areas not as healthy, says Perth doctor

While Renfrew County has been spared so far, in the counties of Lanark and Leeds Grenville, cases of COVID-19 have emerged in long-term care and retirement homes in towns like Almonte, Carleton Place, and Perth.

On Friday, there were 12 new cases confirmed.

For Dr. Alan Drummond, an emergency room doctor in Perth, it's not just the coronavirus that's a concern, but also residents' underlying medical conditions.

"The thing about rural Canada is it's not necessarily a healthier Canada. A lot of rural residents carry a fairly substantial burden of ill health, from either diabetes, COPD, congestive heart failure [or] dementia," said Drummond.

While it's an uncomfortable conversation, Drummond thinks now is the time for people to talk to older family members about what happens if they get seriously ill.

"If you have a loved one who is elderly, who has a chronic illness or disability, now is probably the time to discuss goals of care," said Drummond.

"Should you contract COVID-19, what are your wishes? Would you prefer that we keep you comfortable?"

'Maintaining calm' in Kemptville

Over at Bayfield Manor in Kemptville, there's currently no sign of the coronavirus.

"The secret really is maintaining calm," said Gerry Miller, executive director at Bayfield.

"There's no question it's a tense time. The staff also have vulnerable folks at home, but they understand that their role is very critical."

It's a different story in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), which had 31 confirmed cases as of Friday.

The unit's region includes the city of Cornwall, the town of Hawkesbury and the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Matthew Kupfer/CBC
Matthew Kupfer/CBC

Previous outbreaks of the flu and the H1N1 virus in these communities targeted the elderly and people with underlying health conditions, according to Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, the EOHU"s medical officer of health.

He knows the same group is at risk for COVID-19.

"Our main message is that we want to put that halo around those vulnerable individuals," said Roumeliotis.

"[When you combine] the elderly plus the increased number of people with underlying medical conditions, I'm quite worried."

Ill health-care workers outside Kingston

Further to the south, there have been 48 cases of COVID-19 in the area covered by Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health, including a number of health-care workers who've fallen ill.

Dr. Kiran Moore, the local medical officer of health, is reminding residents not to allow stress, fear and anxiety to lead to social stigma toward certain "people, places, or things."

"It is important to remember that we are all in this together," said Moore.

"Everyone can stop stigma related to COVID-19 by knowing the facts and sharing them with others in our community."