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Date/Time/Approximate Location |
Wednesday, April 6th, 2022 Windsor & Essex County – Primarily in the N9A Postal Code Area |
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Event Description |
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s surveillance and monitoring system has identified an increase in the number of opioid-related Emergency Department (ED) visits and substance use-related Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls inclusively between March 28th and April 3rd of 2022. Over this consecutive seven-day period, there were a total of nine (9) opioid overdoses reported by local hospitals, six (6) of which involved fentanyl, alongside three (3) cases of non-overdose fentanyl use. These values exceed our two and five-year historical averages by more than two standard deviations above the mean. Additionally, during this same time period, a total of fourteen (14) substance use-related EMS calls were received, which is above our average of 10.5 per week for 2022 thus far. As such, based on the information available, a public alert is warranted. Partners involved in the WECOSS, including the WECHU, Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex Windsor EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Police Services, continue to monitor this increase and are working to understand more about these reported cases. |
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Response |
Please share this information with clients and relevant partners. If you are aware of any linkages between these cases or other causes for these increases, please contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. For signs and symptoms of opioid overdose and what to do, visit the WECOSS website: How Can Overdose Be Prevented? |
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Source |
WECHU (Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance Application - ACES), Essex-Windsor EMS Overdose Notification System, Windsor Police Services |
Windsor-Essex County