Hospital ERs in northeastern Ontario already reaching capacity

Hospitals in other regions are struggling to keep up with a spike in ER visits from people with several respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and a virus that typically affects children.

Provincial data shows numbers are about double the seasonal average and the Timmins area is one of the hardest hit.

Kim Bazinet, manger of the ER at the Timmins hospital, said visits for are up by more than 30 per cent compared to pre-COVID-19 volumes, with people reporting cold-like symptoms.

“Usually we don’t see this respiratory impact to the community, until about January,” Bazinet said.

“It’s happening a lot earlier this year. We weren’t created to see these amount of volumes. We have a limited amount of space. So, once again, wait times are up.”

The provincial data is showing the number of children going to the ER is double the seasonal average. The last time it was this high was in February 2020, just before the first pandemic lockdown.

Temiskaming is seeing the highest levels, with more than a quarter of respiratory patients age 17 and younger, followed by Porcupine, North Bay, Algoma and Sudbury.

Health officials said it’s a province-wide crisis.

“Emergency departments are overwhelmed, the waits are incredibly long and the numbers we’re seeing in the emergency departments are double than we really even have capacity for,” said Dr. Rose Zacharias of the Ontario Medical Association.

Combined with the shortage of children’s cold medicine, Zacharias said parents should do what they can to keep their children comfortable, give them fluids -- but mainly look for serious symptoms.

“Such as vomiting … a fever lasting longer than five days … fluid loss, so diarrhea and also kids that are not taking fluids in,” she said.

Hospital officials said the key right now is prevention.

“Flu shot is a great thing,” said Bazinet.

“Your COVID vaccines are important. We want to keep the community safe. Wash your hands and, also, if you have a fever, please stay home.”

Bazinet said starting Monday, the hospital’s COVID-19 assessment centre will be taking patients older than two years of age with cold-like symptoms, as long as they call ahead to book an appointment and don’t have another health care provider.