Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko and Dori Modney

Alberta confirms second COVID-19 death

Mar 24, 2020 | 3:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The provincial government says there are now two people in Alberta who have died of COVID-19.

According to Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, this patient was a woman in her 80’s who resided in a care home in Calgary.

LNN reported last week that a man in his 60’s in Edmonton died of COVID-19.

Provincially, 57 new cases were confirmed Tuesday, bringing the total now to 358.

28 cases are believed to be as a result of community transmission.

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19 patients remain in hospital, seven of which are in intensive care.

Three people have fully recovered.

Although the province’s website that gives statistics on COVID-19 still shows eight confirmed cases in the Alberta Health Services South Zone, which is what LNN reported Monday, their interactive map now shows one new case in Claresholm. This would be the first in the community.

Those who have already tested positive in the South Zone include five patients in Lethbridge, two in Medicine Hat, and one in the M.D. of Taber.

As of Tuesday, March 24, 32,418 people have been tested for COVID-19 but were negative.

During a media scrum, Dr. Hinshaw was asked about the efficacy of home testing kits for those who suspect they might be infected. At this time, there is an Edmonton company which has kits ready for sale, which are said to offer results in ten minutes. However, they need government approval to sell the kits.

Dr. Hinshaw says people need to be very careful about purchasing a test that hasn’t been licensed and validated with appropriate mechanisims to ensure the test is done properly.

“There are point of care tests that have just been licensed in the United States that we are looking into, to see if point of care tests might be made available within health care facilities, so that we have quicker access to testing, especially in remote areas.”

However, Hinshaw offered words of caution.

“Those tests will still be done by health care professionals, with all of the quality controls around it. I would say to people who are considering this [home test kit], if a company is offering to sell a home test, be very careful, because the consequences of a false-positive or a false-negative are significant.”

Hinshaw says, “I’m not aware of any tests that have meant all of the requirements to be used by somebody in their own home and I would just caution people before they rush out and buy something.”