CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19). There are only about ten cases in Quebec. Should we really be worried?

Good evening ma'am,

First, it's important to know that the risk of you and I contracting the virus in the coming months is very real. Indeed, the amount of cases identified around the world (most recently in Italy) shows that at the current rate, a large majority of the population will have been infected by 2021. Catastrophic scenario? Not at all. The vast majority of us will do just fine.

What we fear here are two separate things.

The first is that people with weaker immune systems or already compromised cardiopulmonary systems (asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, etc.) will be infected. We also try to avoid infections in people who are more frail. These groups of people have a greater risk of complications (or even death) if infected (most people who require hospitalization and assistance with breathing are over 50 years old).

The second fear is that our health care system will be overloaded. In particular, we could run out of spaces for people who need hospitalization or ventilatory assistance (to breathe). The capacity of our health care system is limited. So through the precautions imposed or suggested by various governments, we seek to limit the spread to avoid overloading the system.

In other words, there may be too many people requiring hospital care for the capacity of our health system. This is what is causing an ever-increasing number of cultural and sporting event organizers to cancel their activities (e.g. HIMSSS, Indian Wells, etc.).

It is therefore very appropriate to ask Quebecers to remain vigilant and avoid crowds. This is one way to ensure that those who will need care will be able to get it.

Good evening,

Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist

P.S. At the time of writing, Italy is struggling with too many patients requiring hospital care for the capacity of their system (yet very similar to ours in terms of performance).

The possibility of limiting access to intensive care to patients with a higher risk of survival (usually young patients) is increasingly being analyzed. Thus, we may well have to deny access to critical care to older people. Let's try not to go there in Quebec 😊