Alberta releases coronavirus self-assessment tool to ease strain on healthcare services
With increasing concerns surrounding COVID-19, Alberta Health Services has released an online self-assessment tool to screen for the virus in order to reduce the strain on healthcare services.
The self-assessment tool is recommended for anyone who has symptoms or exposure concerns. The Government of Alberta has also released flight numbers with dates, destinations, and affected seats to help those returning from travel assess their risk level and monitor their symptoms.
Current recommendations are to self-isolate if you returned to Alberta from abroad before March 12, and to call 811 to get in touch with Health Link to secure testing.
Testing is currently focused on individuals who have returned from travel outside Canada, those who have had contact with someone who has travelled outside Canada, and those who have symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is displaying symptoms.
- See also:
A release from the province states that 100,000 people had used the self-assessment tool within the first 24 hours of its release.
The self-assessment consists of five questions going over common symptoms and possible complications arising from those symptoms.
Depending on your answers, the website will either direct you to call 911 (for immediate medical attention), to quarantine and call 811 to secure testing, or to follow the hygiene standards recommended by Health Canada. Those standards include washing hands frequently and maintaining a distance of about two metres or six feet between yourself and others.
The self-assessment tool can be found here.
With coronavirus on the rise, Health Canada is reminding individuals who attend events and large gatherings to monitor their health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. And if you’re not feeling well, they recommend staying home at this time. Also, due to unexpected cancellations, please check the event you plan to attend is still taking place. Keep up with COVID-19 news here.