Did you know the U of A has a Public Health Response Team (PHRT)? Like the Avengers, the team assembles when a response is needed that requires the collective skills and insight offered by a diverse set of individuals. When COVID-19 (coronavirus) started to become a global concern, the PHRT assembled to monitor the situation and develop responses for keeping the U of A community safe and healthy. The Quad sat down with the team’s co-chairs, Kevin Friese and Rob Munro, to learn more about the work of the PHRT.
What is the Public Health Response Team (PHRT)? What is its mandate and responsibilities?
It’s a formal body under the university’s risk management structure. It exists specifically to address potential health emergencies and threats that might impact the university community and/or larger landscape locally, nationally, or internationally, and ensure that the institution is responding appropriately. The team consists of members who bring support from different areas of the university community, including health, residences, facilities and operations, UAI, communications and other subject matter experts. It is important to have expertise in different areas because the response is usually very multi-faceted. We have a membership list we can draw from, and assemble to appropriate people depending on the circumstances. Within our emergency management process we have a global overall plan and a series of sub-plans for scenarios that are more likely to happen at the U of A.
How long has the U of A had a PHRT? When was it created?
It was developed in 2004 in conjunction with the crisis management structure at the university. It’s an ad-hoc team that can be activated at any given time. Responding to COVID-19 is not that first time our team has been assembled, we’ve previously been active during the H1N1, norovirus, and Ebola outbreaks.
Why does the U of A need a PHRT?
The university takes the well-being of its faculty, staff, and students very seriously. Public health emergencies can escalate very quickly and affect all facets of university life. Work, life, academics, and business can all be affected by a public health emergency. As a public institution, the university can also be a nexus of support for the greater community, as we saw during the wildfire evacuations from Fort McMurray. At a high level we’re thinking about the health and safety of our community and protection of our people, the environment, infrastructure, and university reputation.
One of the main things the PHRT does is communication. When public health situations arise, people have a lot of questions and a lot of what we do is manage communications with the university community so everyone understands what their responsibilities are, where the communication will come from, and how the decision-making process happens.
The PHRT will also help organize and execute technical pieces. For instance, if there are issues that may affect residence there is a series of protocols that are implemented around food handling and cleaning in order to limit the opportunity for the spread of any virus.
What does a response look like in a public health emergency?
The team comes together to assess the information we have available from Alberta Health Services (AHS), Public Health Agency of Canada, and World Health Organization, among other resources. Each situation is very unique, so depending on the nature of the incident we consider what the impact could be for the campus community as a whole, and what responses are required. We also work with our campus community Health Centre and students doing health-related practicums in the community. There is often a more nuanced response considered for our residences, as communal living spaces can pose a higher risk. We developed a tool with Alberta Health Services for use in Lister Residence, our largest communal living space, so residents can self-report symptoms. The tool has been very effective so far, it’s part of a suite of checks-and-balances in place to monitor the health of our community.
How concerned should people at U of A be about COVID-19?
It’s always important when there’s an identified health emergency for people to be aware and take it seriously. It’s important that people take it in context. Global Affairs Canada and the World Health Organization are insistent that the risk towards individuals, especially in Canada, remains low. There are still no cases in Alberta. We know that many members of our community travel abroad and it’s really important that individuals are aware of their own health while they’re travelling. And that’s a broad message — any time you’re travelling you should be aware of any advisories. The COVID-19 page on the University Health Centre website is the go-to resource for the most recent updates about COVID-19 and any recommendations the university is making around self-care, travel, and accommodations. If you’re planning any travel, you’re advised to register with U-GO Travel Registry.
If we were to have a case of COVID-19 on campus, what would the response look like?
The team has plans for various circumstances and will be ready to go if needed. The response would be very context-specific: How did the case get here? What are the recommendations from AHS? There would be an immediate scaling up of the work we do with AHS to assess the safety of the community and potential risk involved. The protocols we already have in place with AHS for assessing risk in residence will be appropriate for COVID-19.
One of the potential concerns that can arise with public health outbreaks is anxiety and panic. It’s always critical that we’re taking a compassionate response that’s measured and appropriate to the circumstances. We always adhere to and follow the guidance of AHS and Public Health Agency of Canada. We ask that people are cognizant of not overreacting for their own safety and safety of others — unfounded accusations are not helpful in terms of our response. False accusations can impact the employment or academics of individuals, or cause people to feel very isolated in their community. I think it’s important that we come together as a community and rely on accurate sources of information. There’s a lot of misinformation out there so make sure you’re getting information from a reliable source, not some obscure website.
The U of A community can consult uab.ca/covid19 regularly for prevention advice, preparedness resources, travel restrictions or other university impacts. It is updated as new information and resources become available..uab.ca/covid19 regularly for prevention advice, preparedness resources, travel restrictions or other university impacts. It is updated as new information and resources become available..