An outbreak of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been declared over at La Verendrye General Hospital, although masking protocols will remain in effect, Riverside Health Care said Wednesday.
An outbreak of the virus, which has seen an increase in activity across the district in recent weeks, had been declared on March 22 on the first floor of the inpatient unit at La Verendrye.
“While the outbreak has ended, enhanced masking protocols remain in effect across all Riverside Health Care facilities as part of our continued efforts to protect patients, residents, staff, and visitors during respiratory illness season,” Riverside said in a press release.
Medical masks are required in all patient and resident care areas, including patient and resident rooms and hallways, treatment areas, waiting rooms and common or shared spaces where care is provided. Masks must be worn while providing care or visiting patients and residents.
“Our staff continue to do what they always do, step up with professionalism, compassion, and a strong commitment to resident safety,” Riverside Health Communications Coordinator Kathryn Pierroz told The Times. “We are working within well-established outbreak protocols and have been operating under enhanced masking measures since December.”
“As Easter weekend is coming up, I recognize that holidays can be especially difficult for residents, families and our staff, as it is often a time for gathering and celebrating together, but we continue to remind everyone to practice hand hygiene, wear their mask and avoid gathering in common areas when visiting during an outbreak.”
The public are reminded to self-screen prior to visiting loved ones at any Riverside hospital or any long-term care facility and should avoid visiting if they are feeling unwell.
A separate facility-wide outbreak of the virus at Rainycrest Long Term Care Home was still ongoing as of Wednesday, Pierroz confirmed.
“While our teams remain busy, particularly with the added focus on one-to-one activation and enhanced infection prevention, for anyone who knows the team at Rainycrest, spirits remain positive regardless of an outbreak,” she said.
Riverside, in consultation with the Northwestern Public Health Unit, has implemented precautions throughout the home to help protect residents, staff and visitors. As a result, all visitors are required to wear medical masks and additional personal protective equipment (PPE) depending on the circumstances.
RSV is a very common virus that infects the lungs and airways, usually causing cold‑like symptoms. Most children encounter it by age two, and in healthy older kids and adults it typically stays mild. However, it can become serious in infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, sometimes leading to pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
The virus spreads easily through respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces, and while there’s no specific cure, supportive care helps most people recover within one to two weeks.
“At Riverside we take RSV seriously, as we do any infectious illness or outbreak,” Pierroz said. “RSV can have a greater impact on vulnerable individuals, including infants, the elderly and those who are immunocompromised. We continue to remind the public to self-screen before visiting and to avoid coming in if unwell to help protect those in our care, whether at Rainycrest or any of our other facilities.”
Vaccines for RSV are available through health-care providers. Last year, the Ontario government expanded its publicly funded RSV prevention program to include people aged 75 years and older. The program had previously included high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, such as residents of long-term care homes or retirement homes, infants up to eight months of age in their first RSV season and high-risk children up to 24 months of age in their second season.
