About COVID-19

Please visit the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit’s main COVID-19 webpage for up-to-date local information, case numbers and vaccination clinics.

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

Where do I go for testing?

SYMPTOMATIC:

NBRHC Community COVID-19 Assessment Centre
Located at the North Bay Regional Health Centre.
Please call 705-474-8600 ext. 4110 to book an appointment for testing.

ASYMPTOMATIC:

Antigen Testing:
Antigen testing is available at the Lakeshore Drive and Josephine Shoppers Drug Mart locations in North Bay.
Workplace Requirement:
As per Ministry guidelines, Assessment Centres will no longer provide tests for workplace screening programs. Employees with no symptoms should not be sent there.
- North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
  Free COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Screening kits are available for small and medium-sized businesses with 150 or fewer employees. More information on the program is available at this link: http://www.nbdcc.ca/rapid-antigen-screening-program/
Travel:
Visit https://www.rapidscreen.ca/ to book a test for travel. There is a fee for this service.

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.

How does COVID-19 spread?

Research shows that the COVID-19 virus is spread through close contact with an infected person.

This close contact can occur in two ways: droplet and contact.

Droplets means respiratory droplets produced by an infected person’s sneeze or cough. These can travel up to 6 feet (1.8 metres). A person becomes infected when droplets from a cough or sneeze directly enter the body through the eyes, mouth or nose.

Contact means touching a person or object directly, such as door handles, that have droplets on them from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. Unwashed hands contaminated with COVID-19 can introduce the virus to your body when you touch your eyes, mouth or nose.

Washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face are two very important ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

What exactly is a pandemic?

When we talk about a pandemic, we’re talking about a new virus spreading across the globe and across countries affecting a high proportion of the population. It’s important to remember that “pandemic” is not related to the severity of an illness, or the number of fatalities associated with an illness.

About COVID-19

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