Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Sends Message to the Community Regarding COVID-19

CHATHAM-KENT: March 14, 2020 – Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s (CKHA) Chief of Staff, Dr. Pervez Faruqi is sending a personal message to the community of Chatham-Kent regarding COVID-19.  While CKHA continues to take daily proactive measures to respond to the developing COVID-19 situation, the organization is asking everyone to do their part to help fight this pandemic.

“No health care system in the world is designed to deal with a pandemic of this magnitude. I’m here to assure you that we are doing all we can in our preparation to deal with COVID-19, if and when it gets here,” said Dr. Pervez Faruqi.  “We are working hard to increase the capacity at CKHA’S Chatham and Wallaceburg sites to provide necessary care to the population of Chatham-Kent. The threat of overwhelming demands on our hospitals is real, and we need to take necessary measures to reduce the burden.”

There has been no confirmed case of COVID-19 in the catchment area of Chatham-Kent. As of March 14, there are over 150,000 confirmed cases worldwide.  The number of people infected across the globe is likely much greater than what is reported.  This is because not everybody who contracts the virus gets sick. The vast majority of people experience only mild symptoms and do not get tested, or even need to get tested.

“It is going to take more than our health care system alone to fight this pandemic.  We are doing our job, and ask that you do your part. Not everyone who gets sick with fever and cough needs to see a doctor. Unnecessary Emergency Room visits distract staff and physicians from caring for those who really need care,” said Dr. Faruqi.

If you have fever and cough but otherwise:

• You are able to breathe reasonably normal, outside of coughing spells,
• You are able to drink liquids and,
• You are able to move about your home reasonably normal,

You DO NOT need to come to the hospital. CKHA asks that you stay home and isolate yourself for 14 days to prevent the spread of infection and make sure that you maintain adequate hydration.

“A well hydrated body is better able to fight off the infection. I recommend that you drink 6 to 8 eight ounce cups of water in a day. You can add half a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar per liter of water to provide electrolytes if you become dehydrated,” said Dr. Pervez Faruqi. He continued, “Fever and pain can be easily managed at home by taking acetaminophen 500 mg which can be repeated in 4 to 6 hours if required. If you are under 65 years of age and there is no history of kidney disease, ibuprofen 400 mg can be safely taken and repeated in six hours if fever persists.”

If your symptoms are more than mild, and you are experiencing difficulty in breathing, please seek medical attention immediately. Contact your family physician or nurse practitioner who regularly provides medical care. If symptoms are severe, call 9-1-1 immediately or visit your nearest Emergency Room for assessment and treatment.

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About CKHA

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is a 200 bed community hospital, serving the residents of Chatham and rural Kent including Walpole Island and Delaware First Nations. Formed in 2018, CKHA is committed to delivering quality and safe care at its two sites in Chatham and Wallaceburg. CKHA collaborates with other partners to deliver care across its community. CKHA’s dedicated team is comprised of approximately 1,400 staff, 200 physicians and 300 volunteers. CKHA provides a full range of programs, services and specialties from internal medicine and surgery to women & children’s and critical care; it is designated a schedule one facility under the Ministry of Health and cares for tens of thousands of inpatients, outpatients and emergency patients annually. CKHA is equipped with state of the art diagnostics and technology to support its varied programs. CKHA’s vision: Together, growing a healthier community, underscores a movement to improving the population’s health. Grounded by its values “CKHA CARES” (Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, Safety), CKHA commits to continuously improve the patient experience in partnership with patients, families and caregivers. For more information, click here to read CKHA’s Fast Facts.

To arrange a media interview please contact:
Emily Field, Communications Specialist
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
efield@ckha.on.ca