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Chief Ronald Mitsuing of Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation (Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)
Makwa Saghaiehcan First Nation Chief

Makwa Sahgaiehcan Chief urging community to stay informed, calm amidst pandemic

Mar 24, 2020 | 5:35 PM

Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation Chief Ronald Mitsuing said he agrees with The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations’ request to close provincial borders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to First Nation communities.

Chief Mitsuing told meadowlakeNOW prevention is necessary to keep First Nation communities safe. However, communities working together to prevent the spread is becoming an increasing challenge.

“So far we have people who are OK with [self-isolating] and some people are not used to staying in,” he said. “Maybe they’re not informed about how serious this is.”

Mitsuing said medical language may not be clearly understood by some. Self-isolation becomes an additional challenge when residents cannot find necessities close by.

Dr. Paul Naude is a family physician out of Lloydminster and spent over five years living in Loon Lake. He said he developed close connections to the community and is working closely with First Nation members during the pandemic.

Naude explained COVID-19 is very contagious.

“It is an airway disease and is spread from one person to another through tiny saliva droplets disbursed when a person coughs or sneezes,” he said. “The virus can also be spread to the body from contaminated surfaces and can survive for hours on railings or table surfaces.”

The doctor said COVID-19 does not affect all individuals the same way.

“Most people may get a mild, flu-like illness and some people may have almost no symptoms at all and there lays the challenge,” he said.

The general public would not know if a person is infected with COVID-19 because it can be asymptomatic in certain people. If one doesn’t follow social distancing measures, the act could infect at least two people close by and spread out of control. The time frame from exposure to infection varies in people from two to 14 days.

“People who choose not to self-isolate, risk affecting elders and those living with diabetes or liver disease, or severe conditions which reduce immune systems effectiveness,” he said.

The physician said COVID-19 exposure can cause pneumonia in both lungs and to have both lungs affected is highly unusual.

“If both lungs are completely infected with pneumonia, there’s not normal lung tissue to exchange air for oxygen in the body,” he said. “Most people will need a ventilator to stay alive and some people may die even then.”

Naude said if everybody presents infection at the same time, there could be a high number of fatalities because hospitals simply do not have enough ventilator equipment to cover a mass population of sick people and some may be forced to wait for treatment.

First Nation communities

In rural communities it could be a while longer before the virus turns up. Naude said there could be ongoing issues with infection. He predicts in the next few weeks, the virus will peak which highlights the need to continue social distancing now.

“Particularly the First Nation communities should be concerned,” he said. “We have high rates of diabetes and chronic illness and those people are more prone to get sick.”

The doctor said young people need to isolate themselves, so grandparents and parents do not become sick.

“I think it important for people to understand it’s not just about themselves, it’s about the people around them, its about the people they care about,” he said.

Currently, Alberta has a higher number of COVID-19 cases than Saskatchewan and Naude agrees closing provincial borders could stop the inter-provincial spread. He said infected travelers may not present symptoms but could touch gas pumps or other objects on their way into the province.

“I think, as bad as it will be for trade and the economy, it’s about people’s lives,” he said. “Minimizing people’s movement is very important.”

The doctor said if people could only confine themselves naturally, then closing provincial borders would be unnecessary as the number of cases found in people could be more predictable.

Naude is currently working with Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon to develop a secure and confidential virtual medicine portal to conduct consultations. He said the portal will be developed in the coming days. He agreed to offer telephone support to the local community through the pandemic.

Chief Mitsuing urges First Nation communities not to panic but to stay safe by continuing with proper hygiene, self-isolation and socially distancing from the public including friends, elders and those with weakened immune systems.

With files from CKOM

nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722

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