By: Yashita Dhillon, Peak Associate and Petra Chase, Editor-in-Chief
On May 30, Protect Our Province BC hosted an online event where a panel of healthcare researchers discussed the prevalence of COVID-19 in healthcare settings, the lack of protective measures against its spread through the air, and its impact on vulnerable patients.
Protect Our Province BC is an organization of scientists, healthcare workers, and community advocates calling on BC’s health authorities to enforce evidence-based policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The panellists included Dr. Victor Leung, who specializes in infection prevention. Leung explained healthcare-associated infections are acquired while receiving healthcare services, including at emergency, in-patient, and long-term facilities.
The discussion focused on the findings of a 2023 article in BC Medical Journal (BCMJ) about how high–efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems could help prevent the spread of airborne COVID-19. Studies show that “A HEPA filter filters 99.97% of aerosols,” which includes COVID-19. Multiple studies indicate that “HEPA purifiers were able to significantly reduce airborne SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19].” The co-authors of the article were also a part of the panel: anesthesiologist Dr. Susan Lee and palliative care worker Dr. Jean Warneboldt.
Lee and Warneboldt’s research found HEPA filters have the greatest impact when combined with other measures like medical masking and physical distancing. HEPA is also recommended by health authorities like the World Health Organization to prevent COVID-19 transmission in settings with inadequate ventilation.
Warneboldt spoke about how HEPA filters were initially implemented in the unit she was working in at the beginning of the pandemic but were removed when regional guidelines changed. There are no longer any “standardized indoor air quality standards,” with the Fraser Health Authority “actively removing the availability of HEPA filtration,” according to BCMJ. In a statement to The Peak, the Fraser Health Authority said, “There is no requirement from any governing body for the use of portable HEPA filters in rooms other than those with specialized use,” such as operating rooms. Mandatory masks were also removed from healthcare settings on April 8, despite community advocacy efforts from Protect Our Province, DoNoHarmBC, and Masks4EastVan, who highlight COVID-19 is not a seasonal virus.
“It’s extremely demoralizing to work to make these really frail patients better only to see them fall into worse sickness while they’re under our care.” — Dr. Jean Warneboldt, palliative care specialist and clinical assistant professor at UBC
“Guidelines are still focusing on contact and droplet transmission, emphasizing handwashing rather than clean air,” Dr. Susan Kuo, a family physician and moderator stated. She said many healthcare researchers and professionals in BC “still don’t acknowledge” that COVID-19 is airborne.
“It’s extremely demoralizing to work to make these really frail patients better only to see them fall into worse sickness while they’re under our care,” Dr. Warneboldt expressed.
Lee recalled a moment at the beginning of the pandemic when Warneboldt told her several of her patients had died that day due to COVID-19 that was acquired in the hospital. “It deeply affected me that our healthcare system could be potentially putting people at risk,” she said. “For some of these most vulnerable patients, the air in the hospital can be deadlier than the diagnosis that brought them in.”
Lee said sometimes it’s forgotten that there continue to be patients who seek care in hospitals, and are vulnerable to COVID-19 exposures. Between May and June 2024, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 67%. While data on active COVID-19 cases is not currently available via the BC Ministry of Health, COVID-19 Resources Canada collects data from hospitals and wastewater reports of COVID-19 for weekly updates. They estimate that 1 in 73 people were infected in BC between June 8 to 21.
COVID-19 disproportionately impacts vulnerable patients with weakened immune systems and can develop into Long COVID. Long COVID can persist months after COVID-19 contraction and can affect healthy and vaccinated individuals — the risk of Long COVID increases with each infection. Long COVID is a condition with various symptoms including severe fatigue and weakness, and immune dysregulation. It can increase the risk of heart failure and stroke. It has no definitive treatment. According to Statistics Canada, one in nine Canadians have experienced Long COVID symptoms.
“There is increasing recognition now that the air we breathe is just as important as the water we drink,” Dr. Leung responded.
Grassroots organizations such as Protect our Province BC, DoNoHarm BC, and Masks4EastVan continue to advocate for change. You can follow their social media to stay informed on COVID-19 literature, measures, and provincial policies.
