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November 22, 2020 – 2:28 p.m.
A Kelowna emergency doctor recommends residents plan ahead and prepare as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the area.
Jeffrey Eppler, an emergency doctor in Kelowna, said the emergency room was still down five to 10 percent year-on-year, but was getting closer to pre-pandemic patient numbers.
Eppler asked residents to keep visiting the emergency room during the first wave of COVID-19 as he saw sick patients holding back for treatment as they were concerned about the virus. That is no longer the case.
READ MORE: Kelowna Doctor Says People Avoid The Emergency Room Getting Sicker Due To COVID-19 Fear
“We’re starting to see people come in with the usual things like chest pain, shortness of breath, and injuries like this,” he said.
Eppler estimates that around 200 people are present every day. At peak times, the Kelowna General Hospital emergency department can reach up to four doctors.
As more people wear masks, he expects fewer influenza and respiratory infections this season, he said.
Eppler is also expecting more COVID-19-related emergency rooms this winter and is warning people to be vigilant about social distancing measures. He said Interior Health has gone to great lengths to separate potential COVID-19 patients from regular emergency room patients.
“People have to think about what will happen in the next month or two to see how they will live their lives, taking into account the fact that we may be under wraps over the Christmas period,” he said.
In Canada’s flu season last year, 711 positive influenza were recorded. This year there were only 17.
Many health professionals feared that a rush of COVID-19 would not only be worse than the first wave in spring, but also if seasonal flu infections spread, making it impossible for hospitals to keep up.
COVID-19 is proving worse this fall. Almost 60 percent of all confirmed cases in Canada have been diagnosed since September 1. Canada’s top doctor Dr. Theresa Tam said of the flu, “This definitely looks good period.”
– With files from The Canadian Press
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