Nature, as the kids say, is healing.
Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN) says one of its intensive care units has not a single COVID-19 patient for the first time in over 14 months.
The network took to Twitter on Wednesday to make the announcement, along with a video of staff at Toronto General Hospital’s Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit celebrating their first day with zero COVID patients since March 26, 2020.
“Thank you for your hard work. I feel like I’m going to cry now… Our first COVID case was March 26, 2020, and today we are COVID free!” says the unit’s nurse manager, Denise Morris, in the video to joyous applause from the staff.
A day earlier, Toronto Western Hospital—another one of UHN’s hospitals—announced that it was shutting down its COVID-19 unit as infection numbers continue to decline across Ontario.
“Let’s keep it that way,” tweeted infectious disease expert Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, who works at the hospital. “This is a testament to the benefit of following PH advice & the incredible impact of vaccines!”
The number of hospitalized COVID patients in Ontario has been in steep decline since the peak of the pandemic’s third wave, which saw about 900 people in the ICU for the virus.
As of Thursday, that number was down to 362. The province also reported 370 new COVID cases and a test positivity rate of 1.3 per cent—its lowest positivity rate since October 2.
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