Canada is co-hosting the FIFA World Cup — and preparing for a possible surge in health emergencies. This way

As Toronto and Vancouver prepare to co-host FIFA World Cup games this summer, an emergency doctor worries Canada’s overburdened health-care system won’t be able to handle any additional demand.

INA Editorial published on Monday in canadian medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Dr. Katherine Warner points out that Canada’s health care system is already in a “state of continuous increase in capacity.”ty.” Add hundreds of thousands of visitors, she wrote, and it could be a recipe for disaster.

“Working in the middle of our flu season right now, where we are not able to handle the increase in need for acute care anywhere in Canada, I would be concerned about the increase in need for hospital resources,” Warner, deputy editor of CMAJ and an emergency physician in downtown Toronto, said in an interview with CBC News.

their concerns are supported years of research I am showing it Health problems – such as infectious disease outbreaks, food-borne illnesses, and excessive alcohol consumption – may occur put pressure on emergency rooms During or after mass gatherings.

For example, researchers found that A strain of measles was brought to Vancouver 82 cases were reported during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and three months after the event.

Researchers have also noted He during the calgary stampedethere is Increase in emergency department visits Related to trauma, substance abuse, and minor injuries. And research has also found that world cup match The number of cardiac emergencies may increase.

There is also the possibility of large-scale attacks that could send many people to hospital, as happened early last year Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Festival.

Warner began noticing examples of these types ofAfter working at a Toronto hospital during the Toronto Blue Jays World Series last fall.

Of the hospital where she works, she said, “We had one ICU bed available and I couldn’t imagine what we would do if we had an incident in the city where we needed to see a lot of patients right away.”

And while Warner says she knows there is a procedure to quickly transfer patients and evacuate the emergency department in extreme cases, she questions how that would work. The current state of health care in Canada.

“The challenge is implementing those plans in a health care system where there are not enough hospital beds on any given day,” he said.

Measles, Covid-19 identified as top risks

Canada is co-hosting this year’s FIFA World Cup with the United States and Mexico. And with six games being held in Toronto and seven in Vancouver, the country could draw hundreds of thousands of spectators over the course of four weeks.

According to a report by Public Health Ontario, crowds of fans before, during and after matches are an ideal breeding ground for various infectious diseases, especially respiratory or food- and water-borne diseases.

following a Month-long risk assessmentThe provincial health agency determined that pandemics spread through food and water, such as measles, COVID-19 and food poisoning or hepatitis A, are “likely” during the World Cup games.

Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre, says he’s most concerned about measles because of recent outbreaks across Canada. The country will lose its eradication status.

“Measles is very contagious,” he said. “This will potentially spread like wildfire. And that will not only put a strain on the health care system … but the public health system will be doing contact tracing between a lot of people.”

Conway, who is not part of any health care plans for the World Cup, said people should make sure they stay up to date about their vaccinations.

sexually transmitted infections (STIs), some of which are growing in canadaAnother major concern for Conway, who says condoms and treatment for STIs should be readily available.

He says he hopes existing disaster and surge plans “will be sufficient to deal with anything that comes our way.”

Dr. Mark Lisyshyn, Vancouver Coastal Health’s deputy chief medical officer of health, is also confident the city will be able to respond to any type of public health emergency.

“The health system reacts to issues like this with some regularity and it has mechanisms in place,” said Lisishin, who was part of public health planning for the FIFA games in Vancouver.

“Although the health care system operates at considerable capacity, it has plenty of mechanisms to achieve additional capacity.”

And while Lisishin acknowledged that canceling surgeries or moving people around isn’t ideal, he says that’s how the system works here.

“We need to prioritize the system to tackle the problems that matter most.”

Hospitals have trauma plans in place

While Dr. Andrew Beckett, trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital, says all hospitals have strong plans to accept large numbers of people requiring immediate medical care.

“We already had plans for the Taylor Swift concert,” said Beckett, who is also the medical director of the hospital’s trauma program.

When it comes to the World Cup, Beckett says she’s part of a planning group with leadership from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sick Kids.

“We are looking at ways to be able to increase capacity within hospitals by closing some elective surgeries if needed, while also recalling (staff) who may be in the field and available to help in a crisis,” Beckett said.

They also said they would refer patients to hospitals depending on the severity of their injuries and the level of care required.

Beckett says the province has provided additional funding to support emergency resources during the World Cup games, though he could not say how much.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health did not respond to questions about additional staffing or available resources to support the increase in demand, nor did it confirm whether additional funding is available for hospitals.

In an email last week, a spokesperson said the government would work with all health care partners to “ensure they have the equipment they need to provide high-quality care.”

Toronto to test wastewater, keep track of food inspections

one in report to city councilToronto Public Health (TPH) has listed several ways to prepare for various health emergencies, including launching a food safety portal to track inspections. And share information about potential diseases with the public more easily.

As far as extreme heat or wildfire smoke is concerned, the health unit says it will increase its communications to visitors and that misting stations and water trucks will be available.

The city is also launching a wastewater testing program for stadium and fan zone areas, which could be an early indicator of spreading infection.