OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 (NOVEL CORONAVIRUS)

Human coronaviruses like COVID-19 cause infections of the nose, throat and lungs. They are most commonly spread from an infected person through:

• Respiratory droplets generated when you cough or sneeze
• Close, prolonged personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• Touching something with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands

Current evidence suggests person-to-person spread is efficient when there is close contact.

In some ways, COVID-19 is similar to influenza (also known as the flu), but there are also key differences.

Similarities

• Both cause respiratory disease
• Both are spread by respiratory droplets from the nose and mouth
• Both are not spread through the air over long distances and times, unlike the measles

Differences

• There is no specific vaccine or treatment for COVID-19
• COVID-19 does not appear to transmit as efficiently as influenza:
• Only people with symptoms seem to be spreading the disease, however, symptoms may be very mild, so transmission is possible even if the person if feeling well
• Controlling its spread is possible when people with symptoms are isolated
• COVID-19 causes severe illness and mortality in more cases than the flu. On average:
• COVID-19 has resulted in 1 to 2 deaths per 100 cases
• Flu results in 1 death per 1,000 cases

Because COVID-19 can cause serious illness, it is critical to keep it from spreading by having people with symptoms stay home and self-isolate away from others.

Although they sound basic, good hygiene and practicing social distancing can help you reduce your risk by minimizing contact with others in the community.

To protect yourself and others:

• Practice physical distancing and wear a mask in public
• Practice good hygiene: wash hands often for at least 20 seconds, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid touching face
• Monitor for symptoms: cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose or sore throat
• Self-isolate for the legally-required 10 days if you have any symptoms that are not related to a pre-existing illness or medical condition
• Take the COVID-19 self-assessment to access testing

Effective August 1, Calgarians are now required to wear a mask or face covering in all indoor public areas and in public vehicles (public transit and public vehicles for hire). Shopping malls, entertainment facilities, taxis and ride sharing providers are included in this new bylaw. For more information about the new bylaw requirements, visit the City of Calgary webpage.

At INLIV, mandatory masking procedures have been in place since April 13. As a reminder, our building is considered a public space so please ensure you are wearing a mask or face covering upon entry.

When you wear a non-medical mask, it is important to use it properly:

• Ensure the mask fits properly and does not gape at the sides
• It is important to wash hands immediately before putting on the mask and immediately after taking it off
• Once masks become damp from breathing, it is important to change the mask as a damp mask may trap virus particles and put the mask wearer at greater risk
• Consider all masks contaminated with virus once they are on – so avoid moving it or adjusting it once in place – and if you do so, immediately wash your hands
• It is important to carefully handle and dispose of used masks – if a disposable mask, then place in a garbage bag upon removal and if a cloth mask, then place in a separate plastic bag until it can be washed

Proper hand hygiene and not touching your face remain very important in all circumstances as the virus can be transmitted through handling contaminated surfaces and then touching your nose, mouth or eyes.

If you are an INLIV Total Health Management (THM) client, contact your INLIV medical team for COVID-19 screening protocol, including a review of your symptoms, travel history and close contacts.

Get tested and isolate if you have symptoms.

• Book a testing appointment online with the AHS assessment tool, or call Health Link 811 for assistance
• You MUST stay home and self-isolate for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms or until your symptoms have resolved (whichever is longer) – this is a mandatory legal requirement
• Under no circumstance should you leave your property during self-isolation
• DO NOT visit a hospital, physician’s office, lab or healthcare facility – call 911 if you need immediate medical attention and inform them you may have COVID-19

Any person who wants to be tested can now be tested, even if they don’t have symptoms.

The following groups will continue to receive priority for testing:

• Any person exhibiting any symptom of COVID-19
• All close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases
• All workers and/or residents at specific outbreak sites
• All workers and residents at long-term care and level 4 supportive living facilities
• All patients admitted to continuing care or transferred between continuing care and hospital settings

Book a testing appointment online with the AHS assessment tool, or call Health Link 811 for assistance.

COVID-19 is a serious health threat, and the situation is evolving daily. The risk will vary between and within communities, but given the increasing number of cases in Canada, the risk to Canadians is considered high.

This does not mean that all Canadians will get the disease. It means that there is already a significant impact on our health care system. If we do not flatten the epidemic curve now, the increase of COVID-19 cases could impact health care resources available to Canadians.

The risk for COVID-19 may be increased for certain settings such as:

• cruise ships
• crowded areas (such as public transit and shopping centres)
• gatherings (spiritual and cultural settings, theatres, sports arenas, festivals and conferences)

Government of Alberta guidelines for self-isolation can be found here.

As cases continue to climb, the circulation of false and speculative information is also on the rise.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) suggests Alberta residents visit the Alberta Health Services main COVID-19 web page for the latest provincial information. The Government of Canada website is also providing timely national updates.

Effective December 13, 2020, the INLIV Gym will temporarily close as a result of the provincial government’s stronger public health measures. The mandatory restrictions will be in place for at least four weeks.

The following services will remain closed until further notice:

• In-person Fitness & Movement Medicine personal training sessions
• In-person Fitness & Movement Medicine group classes (Saturday Circuit)

To our Fitness clients that have in-person sessions booked, these sessions will be offered as Virtual Training starting December 14th. Our team will contact you directly to confirm your next session.

The following additional cautionary measures are currently in effect:

• For in-person appointments, all clients are required to use hand sanitizer at the front entry.

• Effective August 1, Calgarians are required to wear a mask or face covering in all indoor public space. Our building is considered a public space; clients must wear a mask or face covering upon entry. A disposable mask will be provided if a client is not wearing their own.

• We’ve temporarily suspended online bookings through our patient portal to ensure proper screening before clients come into our facility.

• Reusable glassware and spoons have been removed from both Oases, replaced with disposable cups and stir sticks, and all snacks have been removed.
• Our facility is always cleaned to medical-grade standards every night. Our full-time cleaning staff have been asked to use disposable cleaning cloths and pay extra attention to higher traffic areas and contact points, including door handles, seating areas and washrooms.
• We had our entire facility sanitized with a botanical, plant based disinfectant that kills 99.99% of all viruses and bacteria (including COVID-19).
• INLIV staff are required to stay home if they exhibit any symptoms of illness and follow protocol as directed by the COVID-19 self-assessment for Albertans or the COVID-19 self-assessment for healthcare and shelter workers, enforcement personnel and first responders.
• INLIV staff are now completing daily Fit for Work forms used by AHS to ensure that everyone working in our facility is healthy before they come into the clinic.
• Any INLIV staff in direct contact with patients or colleagues must wear surgical masks at all times and in all areas of the workplace if they cannot maintain a physical distance of two metres or more from others. Our protocols include requirements for the proper changing of masks, mask-related hand hygiene and mask disposal.
• INLIV staff who do not have direct contact with patients are working from home whenever possible and practicing proper physical distancing when they are working behind the scenes at the clinic. Masks are required for all INLIV staff who enter our facility.

Effective December 13, 2020, certain in-person services will temporarily close as a result of the provincial government’s stronger public health measures. The mandatory restrictions will be in place for at least four weeks.

The following services will remain closed until further notice:

• In-person Fitness & Movement Medicine training sessions and group classes (Saturday Circuit)
• Medical Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine appointments

Virtual personal training sessions will continue to be available.

Pre-appointment screening has been implemented to protect the health and safety of our clients and staff. To book an appointment with the medical team, clients are required to contact their Medical Care Coordinator. Anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms is transferred to our LPN for screening to align with AHS guidelines.

Clients deemed at risk for COVID-19 are asked to self-isolate and call Health Link at 811. COVID-19 testing is arranged outside of the clinic.

While it is important that we remain good stewards of our available resources, we are not concerned about shortages at this time.

We have launched this webpage to support frequent and up-to-date communications with all staff and clients. We are committed to updating this page as new information becomes available. Please check back regularly. We will continue to send email updates with significant developments to our valued clientele.