More Hospital Infection Means More Health Care Navigation Is Necessary

There are over 40 hospitals in Toronto. As of the weekend, six of them have had COVID-19 outbreaks, including St. Mike’s where it’s reached five staff (but no patients yet) in their Emergency Department.

With Canada recording record highs for new daily infections last week, the prospect of wards and even entire hospitals having to shut their doors to new patients is both clear and present.

This is all the more frightening if the response of officials resembles how they handled sending our kids back to school. Two months into that chaotic process, we can now look back to a series of stops and starts, unintended though predictable consequences, and millions of parents, frustrated and bewildered that they still don’t know the answer to this urgent question: “How will you educate my child?”

But unwell patients have different needs from pent-up kids. Read more...