Second presumptive case of coronavirus confirmed in Toronto; wife of first case

TORONTO -- TORONTO -- The wife of the man identified asCanada’s first case of the Wuhan coronavirus has tested positive for the virus at Ontario’s public health laboratory, and has been in self-isolation since arriving in Toronto, according to Ontario health officials.

"When he went to the hospital, she had agreed to stay in self-isolation," Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams told CTV’s Your Morning. 

Toronto Public Health has been in regular contact with the woman during her self-isolation period, officials said.

“Whether it’s novel coronavirus, influenza, other respiratory diseases, if you’re sick, stay home and don’t go out and socialize,” Williams added. “You can be out in public because it’s not widespread … The risk is very low for Ontarians.”

•  More Canadian cases of coronavirus 'would not be unexpected': officials

The news comes after the province announced Canada’s first “presumptive positive” case of the coronavirus on Saturday, in a 50-year old man who recently returned to Toronto from Wuhan. He displayed mild symptoms on the flight and went to the hospital a day later as symptoms worsened. He is in stable condition and being kept in isolation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Officials are following protocols and trying to contact passengers on China Southern Airlines flight CZ311 from Guangzhou, China, who were in close proximity to the couple. The couple’s flight landed at Pearson International Airport at 3:46 p.m. on Jan 22. 

Williams said the entire plane was not at risk because it’s a “droplet-spread organism.”

It may be droplet spread but, it can be spread by:

Sometimes, but not often, a coronavirus can infect both animals and humans. Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do, through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person's hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched. So, if the man on the flight touched anything after getting his own infected saliva on his hands such as the arm rests, chairs, doors of the plane, bathroom faucets, overhead carriage spaces, etc... others from the flight can also now be infected, and the cycle carries on though them, and whomever they're in contact with and so on.

Samples from both individuals have been sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for full confirmation. There are 21 cases under investigation, Williams said, with 15 ruled out as negative so far.

An outbreak of the virus that began in Wuhan, China has killed 81 people so far, with more than 2,700 cases confirmed as of midnight. A total of 17 cities in China are on lockdown, limiting the movement of more than 50 million people during what is normally the world’s busiest travel period due to the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. 

The country has extended the holiday in an effort to keep the public at home. Many large public events and gatherings have been cancelled, while a number of major tourist sites including The Forbidden City and Shanghai Disneyland have closed until further notice.

Canada does not have a consular presence in Wuhan, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne said Canadians are advised to avoid non-essential travel to theChinese province of Hubei due to the heavy travel restrictions currently in place.

“We understand the concerns of Canadians in the region and those of their families and loved ones. We are in contact with and providing assistance to Canadians currently on the ground,” Champagne said in a statement.

There are currently 67 Canadians in Hubei province who have registered with the voluntary Registration of Canadians Abroad service, according to a government source, but because the registration is voluntary, the numbers are not a complete picture of how many Canadians are in the region or in China.

Canadians who need emergency consular help can contact the Embassy of Canada in Beijing at 86 (10) 5139-4000. Canadians can also call the department's 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1 613-996-8885 or email.