Health committee  They are trying as hard as possible, but, as I said, even if that is the case, I think there are two things the experts will be looking at. One is whether they are truly asymptomatic, because they could actually have symptoms, so they would be looking at that first. Then even if there are asymptomatic people who could transmit, is that just a rare event or is that frequent?

Health committee  We will be looking for anyone with a reported fever, cough or difficulties breathing. Those are the really key ones.

Health committee  It can get very technical, but on a broader scale, the risk is obviously very high in China. It has 99% of cases and transmissions. We have had, not unexpectedly, some imported cases that are being well managed. What we look at is the likelihood of importation by volume of travellers from an affected area, followed by essentially looking at the impact from its severity but also looking at impact in terms of whether we have the measures to mitigate the impact.

Health committee  The expectation for any contacts is that they will be actively monitored for 14 days. That is the longest incubation period that is being observed. Local public health will monitor the contacts, and doing that generally involves public health having some contact every day with the individuals who have been identified.

Health committee  There are different types of contacts. For example, if someone is an actual family member or a fellow traveller, they would have had much closer and more prolonged exposure to the case. Those are the high-risk contacts. They will be essentially in isolation or quarantine for 14 days to protect against any further transmission.

Health committee  The CBSA officers all have been trained by our agency's quarantine service, and that's very important. They are directly authorized through the Quarantine Act because they are the first screening officers, so they have authority. Also, should they be at all concerned about anyone, they then also have a reach-back mechanism to our staff, who can then manage the situation as appropriate.

Health committee  Again, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, we have case definitions. At the beginning of any emerging infectious disease, we have to develop the laboratory test. Now we have that. At the beginning of any outbreak, not every laboratory can do the test, but they're beginning to acquire the testing capabilities.

Health committee  As you come through the border, first of all, you will be able to see those arrival screens saying, “Tell the border services officer if you're sick and you come from this area.” You would go through the kiosk and have the screening questions. When a flag comes up from that kiosk, the CBSA officer will look at that and say, “Okay, this is someone from an affected area.”

Health committee  It's correct that this.... The current understanding of coronaviruses in general, and we believe with this one, is that it is spread through droplets that people cough or sneeze out but also through contaminated surfaces—e.g., if someone coughs up a droplet on this table. It depends on what surface it's on.

Health committee  At the airport, if someone was exhibiting symptoms, they would immediately be separated from the rest of the people in the airport, and Public Health Agency staff would do an assessment. The next thing they would do is to send the individual to a designated emergency room for an actual assessment should that be necessary.

Health committee  I think that is the challenge of our day. Our approach is to try to provide consistent, credible information through different channels. That's sort of escalating, of course, as we speak, with the website we have, providing regular technical briefings, and having that 1-800 number.

Health committee  As travellers enter the three international airports, the information is provided in English and French but also in simplified Chinese. The kiosks themselves have 13 languages, and then the handouts we are providing have French, English and simplified Chinese. The handouts not only talk about the symptoms and what people should do but also suggest calling ahead to your health provider before you present yourself to an emergency room or the ambulance service.

Health committee  The current medical treatment is supportive care. That is what's available, as it is for many respiratory viruses that don't have a specific vaccine or treatment. In terms of medical care, if someone has pneumonia you may need to support them with oxygen. If someone is really severe you may actually need ventilation.

Health committee  Based on data coming out of China, about 20% of cases are what they define as severe. That could mean pneumonia. We know that in terms of the number of deaths, there have been just over 130 out of over 6,000 reported cases. We currently cannot estimate the actual case vitality rate.

Health committee  Relative to something like SARS, it is lower, but as I said, there are 20% who might have a serious illness. We don't know what the clinical cause is. That is what we are watching very carefully.