First nurse in Ontario dies of COVID-19, province warns of new symptoms in kids
Ontario has lost its first nurse to COVID-19 and is amending the definition of the disease to include symptoms of a serious inflammatory syndrome that causes persistent fever and abdominal pain in children.
The registered nurse, Brian Beattie, worked at the Kensington Village long-term-care home in London, Ont. which declared an outbreak in early April and has lost five of its 78 residents to the highly contagious virus.
It's not known how Beattie contracted the illness, which has also infected a handful of other staff at the home.
He was the definition of dedication, and he considered his colleagues and residents to be his other family,'" Ontario Nurses' Association Vicki McKenna said Wednesday.
While there will be much discussion about Ontario's pandemic preparedness and protection of nurses and other health-care workers, this is not the time for speculation," she added, noting the Ministry of Labour has been contacted to investigate the death.
More than 3,500 health-care workers, the majority of them in nursing homes, have contracted COVID-19, and several personal support workers have died from the illness. As of Wednesday, 180 nursing homes across the province were dealing with outbreaks.
Overall, the novel coronavirus has sickened 22,317 in Ontario since it first emerged here in late January, with a Star compilation of data from public health units as of 11 a.m. Wednesday showing 343 new confirmed and probable cases in the previous 24 hours. Deaths rose by 61 to 1,840.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said doctors are being advised to watch for a condition that is similar to Kawasaki Syndrome in children.
Recent reports in Canada and internationally indicate that there may be an increase in multisystem inflammatory vasculitis, a rare but serious ...illness that impacts children who have been diagnosed with COVID-19," she said in a statement.
U.S. media have been reporting on this as an atypical presentation of the illness in children, which has appeared in a number of states.
Aside from the persistent fever and abdominal pain, symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash.
Parents should contact their health care providers immediately if their children are having these symptoms," Elliott said, acting on the advice of chief medical officer Dr. David Williams.
While recent data suggests the majority of COVID-19 infections in children are mild, the province will begin tracking this new condition. The Ministry of Health said people under 19 account for five per cent of coronavirus cases and none are known to have died.
Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1