B.C. woman whose dad got COVID-19 in long-term care wishes vaccine mandate came sooner

TSAWWASSEN (CityNews) — A woman whose fully vaccinated father contracted COVID-19 in long-term care hopes other families in B.C. will be spared the “horror” her family is living through once immunization becomes mandatory for workers in the province.

On Aug. 7, Kirsten Langan says she learned a worker tested positive for the virus at her dad’s Tsawwassen care home. All the residents were tested, and her dad who has severe Alzheimer’s was negative. Three days later, she got the call she’d been dreading.

“I’m very worried about how the virus is going to impact him. I’m devastated that I can’t see him every day like I used to be able to. All of the residents are now confined to their rooms and visits have been suspended for everybody. Unless somebody has family in long-term care, I don’t think they can really understand how devastating that is,” she tells CityNews.

“In the end he still may not make it. Best case scenario, he’s isolated for 14 days. Worst case scenario they said we’re allowed to visit if he’s on his deathbed, but we have to be fully garbed, masks, gown, gloves — the whole gamut.”

RELATED: B.C. mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for long-term care workers

 

On Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced vaccines will be mandatory for all workers and volunteers in long-term care and assisted living facilities. Proof of immunization will be required starting Oct. 12. Dix described it as a “necessary step” to prevent “disruptive” outbreaks linked to the Delta variant and non-vaccinated people. Currently, there are eight outbreaks in care homes.

“I wish it had happened sooner, but I’m grateful vaccines are now mandated for long-term care workers, and hoping nobody else has to go through the horror my family is experiencing right now.”

Langan is still shocked that her father contracted the virus despite being vaccinated, and thinks it is likely due to his immune system being so compromised because of how advanced his disease is. She suspects the staff member who tested positive was not vaccinated.

“The message I’d like to give to residents to workers in long term care is please get vaccinated to protect people like my dad, who has 10 grandchildren, and a wife and four kids who love him dearly, and we can’t see him, because he has COVID,” she says.

The BC Care Providers Association has been advocating for mandatory vaccines. CEO Terry Lake has said families like Lanagan’s, with loved ones in care homes, have been pushing for this policy.

“We’ve heard from many, many families just can’t believe that it’s not a requirement in long term care to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” he said in June.

“We’ve seen the deadly consequences of a respiratory virus like COVID-19.”

A report released in March — before the Delta variant took hold — found that about 10 per cent of COVID-19 infections in Canada were among residents of long-term care homes. However, 69 per cent of people who died from the virus were residents in these facilities, a  rate significantly higher than the international average of 41 per cent.

Lake says his association welcomes Thursday’s announcement.

“Given the fierceness of this variant, we have been saying it just makes sense that anyone working in [long-term care] or assisted living should be vaccinated.”

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Mike Old, spokesperson for the Hospital Employees’ Union which represents 50,000 healthcare workers, says the majority of members have been vaccinated. Old also says education encouragement are preferable to a mandate.

“Getting vaccinated, is important. It’s an act of solidarity with patients and residents, with coworkers and with those who aren’t able to get vaccinated for medical reasons,” he says.

“The provincial health officer has determine that mandatory vaccines are now required in the context of this pandemic health emergency. As we’ve done since March of 2020 we will encourage our members to follow her direction.”

Old says with a union the size of the HEU, there are members who are not happy with the policy.

“A vaccine policy is going to be controversial. We have members who are okay with the policy, and those who are not.”

With files from Denise Wong

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