At Holland Bloorview, the health and safety of our clients is our top priority. Together, with families, we are working to keep clients and families safe and healthy.
Here are some resources and tips for families on how to keep you and your child healthy.
If you are not feeling well, avoid coming to the hospital until you are feeling better. Instead, please try to find another person to bring your child to their appointment.
If your child is experiencing any of the following symptoms, please check with your clinic before coming into the hospital:
- fever and/or chills
- new cough
- shortness of breath (worse than usual)
- severe headache (worse than usual)
- unexplained muscle aches
- unexplained extreme fatigue
- sore throat
- runny nose
- nasal congestion
- vomiting and/or diarrhea
- red watery eyes
Masking is voluntary throughout the hospital; however, we remain a mask friendly place. There are masking and hand sanitizing stations found on all floors. Please continue to respect the choices of others and be respectful of each other’s personal spaces.
We will continue to monitor a variety of metrics including community positivity rates and wastewater trends, and will adjust our masking policy if needed to keep everyone safe.
Every year, especially during the fall and winter months, people can often catch a cold, influenza, RSV or COVID-19, as well as other respiratory viruses.
Here are some resources to learn more about these common viruses and tips on how reduce their spread:
- Enterovirus (PDF) (causes respiratory and gastrointestinal infections)
- Rhinovirus (PDF) (usual cause for the common cold)
- Influenza virus (PDF)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (PDF)
- COVID-19 (PDF)
How can I prevent from catching a respiratory virus?
- Get immunized. Visit your family doctor or a walk-in clinic to get a vaccine so you can protect both yourself and your loved ones.
- Wear a mask. This simple act helps prevent the spread of viruses effectively. At Holland Bloorview, we care for children who are vulnerable to viral illnesses.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for least 20 seconds. You can also sanitize your hands with hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Cough or sneeze in your elbow or a tissue, not in your hand.
- Stay at home if you are sick. Keep everyone else healthy by not returning to school or work until you are healthy again.
Measles is a highly contagious, yet preventable disease that continues to circulate globally, including in Toronto. We encourage families to stay up to date with their routine vaccinations including the measles vaccine.
Signs and symptoms of measles include:
- fever that lasts for a couple of days
- rash with flat red patches and raised bumps starting on the face and spreading to the body
- cough
- runny nose
- red and watery eyes
Learn more (PDF).
