The University of Toronto and our hospital partners are working closely together to optimize the management of the Coronavirus concerns across our system. As of the morning of January 27, there has been confirmation of two presumptive cases of 2019-nCoV in Toronto, both from the same family unit.
While health officials note the risk of contracting the virus remains low, we must all be prepared to safely deal with sick and highly infectious patients. We want to ensure that you are kept safe and your patients are kept safe while you are performing your duties.
At the current time, it is the expectation of the Occupational Therapy Program that all OS & OT learners will uphold their professional obligation to comply with hospital/clinic requirements for providers, which includes occupational therapists.
Given that many of our OT trainees are not in hospital settings, or are in distant, northern or rural settings, there may be a time when different processes are needed for various students – we will develop plans as needed, for individual students. We will be communicating with you regularly as the situation evolves, both as a group, and individually.
All of our Health Sciences Programs are receiving frequent updated information – at this time, there is no indication that this outbreak will impact our clinical education programs. Your well-being is our first concern, and as always, we will support you, and your safety throughout this situation.
Mask Fit Testing
All of our OT students should have current mask fit testing compliance. If, for whatever reason, you have lapsed in your mask fit testing or believe that there has been a change in your fit status (major weight change, for example), then you must notify the OS & OT program immediately and you must not engage in at-risk activities until a new updated fit test is done.
We understand that this is a time of heightened anxiety and concern. We have learned a great deal from previous events and are confident that our processes are optimized to address the current situation.
