COVID-19
Keeping the Vulcan Community Health Centre
Covid-19 Free
If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please call
Health Link at 811 -- BEFORE Coming to the Health Centre
Call 911 if you are seriously ill and need immediate medical attention.
If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. please inform them of your symptoms.
Symptoms of Covid-19
- Those who are infected with COVID-19 may have little to no symptoms. You may not know you have symptoms of COVID-19 because they are similar to the symptoms of the common cold or flu.
- Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19. This is the longest known incubation period for this disease.
- The most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are:
- fever
- tiredness
- dry cough
- shortness of breath
- difficulty breathing
- sore throat
- runny nose
- Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment.
About COVID-19
- Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause respiratory illness in people, ranging from mild common colds to severe pneumonias. Others cause illness in animals only.
- Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people, and more rarely, these can spread from person to person through close contact.
- COVID-19 is what is called a novel coronavirus.
- Novel coronaviruses are new strains of the virus that have not been previously identified in humans.
- This means people have no immunity against it, and it has no specific vaccine or treatment currently.
Vaccine
- Currently, there is NO vaccine for COVID-19 but researchers around the world are exploring this possibility.
- Beware of scammers making false promises. There are NO natural health products currently authorized by Health Canada, or any other government agency, to treat and/or protect you against COVID-19.
- If you have received a flu vaccine, it will notprotect against coronaviruses.
Are there any treatments for COVID-19?
- At this time there are no specific treatments recommended for COVID-19 infections.
- Supportive and symptomatic care is important particularly for those with severe symptoms of COVID-19.
How is Covid-19 Virus Transmitted from One Person to Another Person?
- COVID-19 is transmitted through person-to-person spread by:
- larger droplets, like from a cough or sneeze
- touching contaminated objects or surfaces, then touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- COVID-19 is not airborne and cannot spread through the air over long distances or times, like the measles.
- Studies suggest that the virus generally only survives for a few hours on a surface, though it may be possible for it to survive several days under ideal conditions.
Social and Physical Distancing
- All Albertans are asked to practice social distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing involves taking steps to limit the number of people you come into close contact with. It can help you reduce your risk of getting sick and help prevent spreading the virus to others.
- This is not the same as self-isolation. You do not need to remain indoors, but you do need to avoid being in close contact with people.
Public Health Orders
To protect the health and safety of Albertans, law enforcement agencies now have full authority to enforce public health orders and issue fines for violations.
- Mandatory 14-day self-isolation for returning international travellers or close contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19.
- Mandatory 10-day self-isolation for people with symptoms that are not related to a pre-existing illness or health condition: cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose or sore throat.
- Restrictions on close contact personal services providers.
- Violation of mass gathering restrictions are now legally enforceable and subject to fines.
- Facilities under this order include all nursing homes, designated supportive living and long-term care facilities, senior’s lodges and any facility in which residential addiction treatment services are offered under the Mental Health Services Protection Act.
- View all public health orders
Information for Travellers Returning to Alberta:
- Effective March 25, the Government of Canada has implemented a mandatory 14-day quarantine, under the Quarantine Act, for travellers returning to Canada.
- ALL travellers who returned to Alberta from outside Canada in the last 14 days are required to self-isolate immediately for 14 days after the date of return and monitor for symptoms.
What Should I Do If I Think I Have COVID-19?
- If you have symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sore throat or runny nose or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you MUST self-isolate for 14 days.
- Complete the COVID-19 online self-assessment to determine if you should receive testing for COVID-19
- DO NOT visit a hospital, physician’s office, lab or healthcare facility without consulting Health Link 811 first.
- If your symptoms worsen, call 811. We are experiencing heavy call volumes and will get to your call as quickly as we can.
- Call 911 if you are seriously ill and need immediate medical attention. Inform them that you may have COVID-19.
- COVID-19 Online Self-Assessment
- Learn More About Self-Isolation
- Symptoms of Covid-19
- COVID-19 vs. Influenza
Important Messages
From the Vulcan Community Health Centre and the Vulcan Medical Clinic
We are all in this "NEW NORMAL" together.
Let’s take care of each other!
If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please call
Health Link at 811 BEFORE Coming to the Health Centre
The trained healthcare professionals answering your call will provide you with the best advice possible.
Call 911 if you are seriously ill and need immediate medical attention.
If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. please inform them of your symptoms.
- DO NOT come to the hospital, emergency, or the medical clinic if you have any of the symptoms of the Covid-19 Virus
- symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or runny nose
- DO come to the hospital you are having difficulty breathing or speaking due to shortness of breath.
New Procedures
The Vulcan Community Health Centre is implementing the following procedures to help protect our staff, patients, and long-term care residents:
- On weekdays, the Vulcan Community Health Centre will be locked down from 5:00 pm to 8:00 am.
- On weekends, the Vulcan Community Health Centre will be locked down from 5:00 pm to 8:45 am.
- Anyone entering the Vulcan Community Health Centre will be screened before being allowed to enter the building. During the screening process, you will be asked a series of questions.
- If you answer YES to any of them, you will be asked to put on a mask and to proceed directly to the Reception Desk during the day or the Nurses Station on weekends.
- As much as all our staff would appreciate and enjoy your kind deliveries of food, Alberta Health Services has directed that no food donations of any type be allowed into AHS facilities. Thank you for thinking of us but we are doing everything we can to keep the Covid-19 virus out of the Vulcan Community Health Centre.
Vulcan Medical Clinic Update
- The Vulcan Medical Clinic is open during the COVID-19 pandemic
- clinic hours are Monday to Friday (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
- Be advised that the doctors are still seeing patients in the clinic for scheduled appointments.
- The “on-call” physician will continue to see walk-in patients following the clinic’s normal protocols.
Doctor Appointments via Telephone
A telephone appointment will be booked for you if:
- you are in isolation or quarantine
- if would like a medical appointment with your family physician but would prefer not to come to the Vulcan Medical Clinic
- To book a telephone appointment, please call the Vulcan Medical Clinic at 403-485-2216 and we would be happy to book a telephone appointment for you with your family physician.
Emergency
- If you must go to Emergency be advised of the following:
- Only ONE support person with you – if needed
- DO NOT bring children into the Emergency unless the child is the patient.
Public Health Appointment
- If you have an appointment for your child’s immunization or other procedure, please leave your other children at home.
Visiting During the Covid-19 Pandemic
As you are aware, the Vulcan Community Health Centre is the home to both Acute Care patients and Long-Term Care (LTC) residents. Both our acute patients and LTC residents are located in one unit in the hospital and the same staff care for the patients and residents in this unit.
Therefore, the administrators of the Vulcan Community Health Centre must implement more restrictive regulations to visiting our LTC residents. These restrictions include:
- Visiting is restricted to essential visitors only. This means that, unless you provide care that is essential to the well-being of the resident or patient, you will not be allowed to visit. The one essential visitor will be designated by the resident or patient.
- Essential visitors will have to complete a health questionnaire each time they visit and they must feel well before each and every visit.
- NO children and NO pets are allowed into the building during the pandemic.
- The exception to the essential visitor regulations will be made for the immediate family of a resident or patient where end of life treatment has been implemented. Immediate family will be allowed to visit – 1 to 2 visitors at a time.
