Doctor calls for more details from province surrounding COVID-19

Doctor wants more transparency on COVID-19 Watch: A Saskatchewan doctor wants to see more detailed information on COVID-19 cases in the province. Colton Wiens reports.

REGINA — A former Saskatchewan deputy medical health officer feels the province should be sharing more information about specific COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan.

Dr. Anne Huang says providing whether the patient is an essential worker or not, would allow for residents to have a better understanding of what is happening.

“I don’t think we should be asking necessarily the specific details of occupation, but if they’re an essential service worker, if they are a police officer, if they are a paramedic, if they are physicians or nurses, I think it’s important that we know that," Dr. Huang said.

On Monday, Dr. Saqib Shahab, the provinces chief medical health officer said sharing specific information can be a privacy issue.

“The challenge with that of course is that it can potentially identify an individual,” Shahab said.

On Tuesday, the province announced six new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, providing a range of ages and the regions of the infected.

The government also has a website that provides the information, but does not specify where in the region it happened, or whether the patient got sick from a travel related issue or a community one.

The province of Ontario has a list of each case and updates what health unit the patient tested positive in, as well as their current status and whether their illness is travel related.

As Saskatchewan’s cases have grown in numbers, the province has provided less specific information for each case. Many releases no longer say where the patients travelled or their status.

“We need more information, we need to know where the cases are, their age, and we also need to know the status of the people who have taken ill or have been infected. Are they just fine and at home, are they in the ICU? There is zero reason why that information couldn’t be made public.” NDP leader Ryan Meili said.

Dr. Huang says she thinks it would also be helpful if the province would share how it’s tracking down the people who have come in contact with a confirmed case and how long that time takes.

She says the province could still share non-identifying details, like locations, but adds it’s a balance between not stigmatizing a smaller community, versus allowing the public to take necessary precautions.

“I think it’s really important that they share whether it’s city, bigger town, or rural areas.” Dr. Huang said.

“On the one hand we don’t want to compromise confidentiality as much as we can, and on the other hand we don’t want to give this impression that it’s just a risk in that community and everyone else needs to not take all the precautions that they need to take,” Shahab said.

Shahab says it is essential that everyone around the province applies the simple principles of self-isolation after returning from travel and public health will do the work to contact anyone who was in close contact with someone who is infected.