COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Effective Monday July 17, 2023 masks will be optional for employees, patients, families, physicians, contractors and volunteers in all areas of NBRHC. Masks will continue to be available at entrances to the building and clinical areas for anyone that prefers to wear one.

Care Partners and employees may be required to wear a mask when additional infection prevention and control measures are in use.

Patients entering the hospital with fever or respiratory symptoms should wear a mask. Report immediately to your destination, and notify a staff member as soon as you arrive.

Visitors who feel unwell are asked to postpone visiting loved ones until they feel well.

Please respect and honour each person’s decision to wear or not wear a mask.

The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) has suspended operations of its COVID-19 Assessment and Treatment Clinic.

This is the result of reduced demand for antiviral treatments and physician assessments for influenza-like illnesses, and declining PCR testing volumes.

After this date, the following supports are available to the general public:

Marshall Park Pharmasave will provide COVID-19 PCR testing to all eligible individuals by appointment only. Call or visit their website for more information or to make an appointment.
Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits can be picked up at participating pharmacy and grocery locations for at-home use. If you test positive on a RAT, you no longer require confirmation with a PCR test. Please presume you have COVID-19 and follow the Ontario guidelines.
Antiviral treatments are available for people meeting provincial eligibility criteria and who have a positive rapid antigen test. A participating pharmacist or your health care provider can determine if treatment is right for you.
Call Health Connect Ontario at 811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007) or chat online for more information on antiviral treatments, assistance or eligibility for virtual care options.

The Health Centre would like to acknowledge the many healthcare workers and administrative staff who were involved in the successful operation of the COVID-19 Assessment and Treatment Clinic over the past three years. Since its opening, 130,000 PCR test were performed and almost 1500 district patients were treated with outpatient antivirals.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Headache
Muscle aches
Fatigue
Runny nose
Joint aches

How can I protect myself?

Physical distancing is an important measure we must take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means: stay home. Do not go out unless you have to, such as to get groceries once per week.

If you must go out (e.g. for your weekly grocery haul), keep a six-foot distance from others. That’s about the maximum distance that droplets from a person’s cough or sneeze can travel, which is one of the ways the virus is spread.

If you are ill (even with mild symptoms) it is especially important that you stay home to prevent the risk of spreading your illness to others. Ask someone to purchase groceries for you, or use a delivery service.

Other ways that we can prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Hand washing: Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to help prevent exposure to, and transmission of, illness.
Practising proper cough and sneeze etiquette: By coughing/sneezing into a tissue, or into your sleeve or arm (and immediately washing your hands afterwards)
Not touching your face: A virus’s port of entry is your eyes, nose, mouth
Cleaning your hands before eating/drinking
Cleaning frequently touched objects and surfaces: Like bathroom sinks, kitchen counters, etc.

For vulnerable populations (people who are immunocompromised, seniors and pregnant women) should extra precautions be taken to protect myself from this illness?

The COVID-19 pandemic is a concerning time for our community, and in particular for those who are immunocompromised, elderly or pregnant. Researchers are still studying this novel coronavirus and how it affects people who are vulnerable.

NBRHC’s Infection Prevention and Control team has these reminders to help reduce your risk of catching this or other infectious illnesses:

Do during the COVID-19 pandemic what you routinely do to protect yourself: wash your hands, keep them away from your face, stay away from people who are unwell.
Practice physical distancing: We’ve been hearing this a lot. It means limit your close contact with others, stay away from crowds, and keep 2 m physical space from others. Stay at home as much as possible. This helps reduce the spread in the community, thus protecting you further.
Carry hand sanitizer if you must go out, and clean your hands frequently.
If someone in your home is ill with a fever, cough, cold or other infectious illness, spread out if possible. Designate some space for each of you. Sleep separately if you don’t already and you have the space to do so. The person who is sick with cough, cold, fever, etc. should wear a mask when they are with you.
Wipe down high-touch surfaces daily.
Physicians in Ontario are encouraged to move to virtual visits. Ask your doctor if that’s possible for your next appointment.
And lastly, have a conversation with loved ones and friends about what they can do to protect you and how important it is: wash their hands, keep their hands away from their face; stay home when unwell; practice physical distancing — this means stay home as much as possible.

Self-assessment tool

If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use this self-assessment tool can help you determine if you need to seek further care.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

North Bay

Sudbury

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