27 possible cases of coronavirus currently under investigation in Ontario

The Ontario government confirms that 27 coronavirus cases are currently under investigation in the province.

The number of confirmed cases remains at two in Ontario.

The first Ontario patient remains in hospital, and is in stable condition. The second is at home, and health officials say she is “feeling well.”

In an update on Thursday, Ontario health officials said there have been 67 cases tested for coronavirus, and 38 were negative.

Officials did confirm a “small number of people” under investigation were on the same flight as the confirmed couple. According to Toronto Public Health, the man and woman who were Ontario’s first confirmed cases recently returned from Wuhan/China on China Southern Airlines flight CZ311, which arrived in Toronto on January 22 from Guangzhou.

They say that those under investigation, while may have been on the flight, could just have a travel history to Wuhan.

But Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams said that China has shown that the coronavirus is not as contagious as measles.

Dr. Williams said that young people are getting over the novel virus quickly, and older patients are more impacted. He also said it is spread by close contact, such as within families.

Of the negative cases, Dr. Williams said some had other seasonal viruses.

They did not specify where the persons under investigation are located within Ontario.

• See also:
  • Second presumptive coronavirus case in Toronto less severe than first
  • Vancouver health authorities confirm first presumptive case of coronavirus in BC

As for face masks, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate chief medical officer in Ontario, said they can help, but in general, wearing a mask won’t do anything, and it may give a false sense of security.

They said to reduce exposure to and transmission, following usual health precautions such as washing your hands often, or not touching your face, helps.

While the officials only released information on the January 22 flight, Air Canada announced this week that it would temporarily suspend all direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai from January 30 to February 29.

The suspension follows the Government of Canada’s advisory to avoid non-essential travel to mainland China in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, the province of Ontario confirmed its second case of the Wuhan novel coronavirus.

Following a positive test for the virus at Ontario’s public health laboratory, the wife of the province’s first case has tested positive at the national lab.

Since arriving in Toronto with her husband, the second patient had been in self-isolation.

Both the man and woman are reportedly in their mid-50s.

The Province of BC has also confirmed its first case of the Wuhan novel coronavirus on Wednesday.