Montreal General Hospital closes internal medicine floor after COVID-19 outbreak

MONTREAL (CityNews) – On Tuesday night the MUHC issued the following statement: “The 15th floor of the Montreal General Hospital of the McGill University Hospital Centre is experiencing an outbreak of confirmed cases of COVID-19: two patients and four people working in this unit have tested positive. Until further notice, new admissions to this unit have been halted.”

Earlier in the day, CityNews Montreal had spoken to a nurse at the Montreal General hospital who is one of 28 medical staff in self-isolation after being exposed to two patients who contracted COVID-19 without adequate protective equipment.

“We’re down now to only 15 nurses because we were exposed without the proper equipment and it’s creating a real burden on our floor,” Johanna Dayandante said, a nurse at the Montreal General Hospital.

So far, four medical staff on the floor have tested positive for COVID-19. She says seven others are showing symptoms and waiting for test results.

.@CityNewsMTL has learned 28 medical staff on the internal medicine floor of the Montreal General Hospital are self-isolating after being exposed to 2 patients who tested positive for #COVID19 without adequate gear. 3 employees tested positive. 7 awaiting results. Details at 6PM. pic.twitter.com/KXeiLVX1zv

— Tina Tenneriello (@Tinatenneriello) April 14, 2020

“I’m angry because we have been telling infection control to provide us with proper equipment from the start. That we should be wearing a mask for every patient,” Dayandante added.

She’s calling for appropriate protective gear, what they call PPEs, for all medical staff in the hospital, no matter which floor they work on.

“We have a lot of patients who were tested only one test and they are sent on our floor because it’s negative, but what’s happening is after a few days those patients show symptoms, so they do the test again and they’re positive.”

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Dayandante herself is now showing COVID-19 symptoms and waiting for her test results.

She’s looking for a place to self-isolate, away from the family she lives with; her sister, 6-year-old nephew and brother-in-law, who’s a respiratory therapist.

She’s hoping her employer will provide something.

“They should provide a space, it’s putting other people at risk, my family doesn’t have the proper equipment, I don’t have the proper room.”

Dayandante is now self-isolating in her room.

Their home has two bathrooms, so one is dedicated to her.

They’re looking at possibly renting something for her as well.

The Quebec Health Ministry said the hotel association of Quebec has offered 4,000 rooms across the province for healthcare workers and requests are being managed by health establishments.

A spokesperson for the Montreal General Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre, said it is putting together a list of venues where health professionals could stay in case they need to be outside their residence.

It also said that it provides staff with appropriate protective equipment when treating suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, adding, that “the current inventory meets our needs and is monitored on a daily basis,” Anne-Claire Fournier, media relations advisor, MUHC.

“It’s scary, the nightmare is starting, we don’t know what to do, we have to isolate my sister, but what’s going to happen in a few days? With my 6-year-old son, it’s scary, at his age if you tell him to be careful, don’t touch this don’t touch that, it’s hard,” said Tenne Rose Dayandante, Johanna’s sister.