The risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus from Wuhan China is low for Canada and Manitoba.

According to Dr. Brent Roussin, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, there have been no confirmed cases in Canada, some testing in other jurisdictions and people being assessed but no confirmed cases.

Hundreds of cases have been reported in China, and some in other East Asian countries, with one confirmed case in Washington State, United States.

"We know there has been evidence of person to person transmission, but we're not sure how efficient that is right now," says Roussin. "There have been reports of health care providers in China who have acquired it, we know of person to person transmission, but it's too early, and we don't have enough information if it's efficient enough to sustain transmission of the virus."

Currently, there haven't been any persons under investigation in Manitoba, but Roussin says health officials remain vigilant and have a province-wide preparedness plan.

Health care providers are being asked to be aware of clients with relevant travel history and symptoms, which could raise the possibility of infection with the novel coronavirus.

These include fever and acute respiratory illness, with or without pneumonia, and travel to
Wuhan and central Hubei China or contact with an ill person associated with that outbreak within the past 14 days.

As of January 17, any suspected cases of novel coronavirus are required to be reported to the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer and would implement infection prevention and control guidelines to limit the possibility of spread.

"Anyone who is identified meeting the criteria fever, acute respiratory illness, and the 14-day recent travel to Wuhan China, would be not cohorted with other clients and would be put in what we call contact and droplet precautions. Anyone caring for these individuals would be wearing an eye-shield and mask, and that person would be put in a room by themselves."

Dr. Roussin says contact and droplet precautions for acute respiratory infections isn't a unique situation, and even with the recent flu season filling hospitals in Manitoba, Roussin says they are prepared for a suspected case and have contingencies in place. He adds they receive updates daily from the Public Health Agency of Canada and through the World Health Organization and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta.