{"id":170311,"date":"2018-07-11T01:02:46","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T05:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=170311"},"modified":"2018-07-11T01:02:46","modified_gmt":"2018-07-11T05:02:46","slug":"ontario-coroner-investigating-three-possible-heat-related-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/07\/11\/ontario-coroner-investigating-three-possible-heat-related-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario coroner investigating three possible heat related deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Quebec<\/a>
Quebec health authorities have said that up to 70 people died from heat-related complications in a recent heat wave, including 34 in Montreal alone. (Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TORONTO \u2014 Ontario’s chief coroner says three recent deaths in the province may have been related to heat, compared to dozens already reported in Quebec.<\/p>\n

Dr. Dirk Huyer told reporters on Tuesday that the three deaths were reported over the last four days.<\/p>\n

Quebec health authorities have said that up to 70 people died from heat-related complications in a recent heat wave, including 34 in Montreal alone.<\/p>\n

Huyer said the numbers are so different in part because Ontario performs autopsies before declaring a cause of death, and it can take months for those results to come in.<\/p>\n

Ontario also defines heat-related deaths differently than Quebec \u2014 it only counts a death as heat-related if the temperature is the direct or major cause, he said.<\/p>\n

It can be\u201dchallenging\u201d to determine if heat was the main cause of death, he said, noting there are other ways to gauge the scope of the issue, including heat-related emergency department visits.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeaths are really not a good measure in a real-time point of view to understand a health problem,\u201d Huyer said.<\/p>\n

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said heat-related data are collected in Ontario’s heat warning and information system report but that document does not collect statistics on deaths.<\/p>\n

However, Williams said he will be consulting with public health officials on what the province should do to better to alert the public and help municipalities respond with more targeted programs.<\/p>\n

Last week’s heat wave in Quebec and Ontario saw temperatures reach over 35 C, with humidex values in the mid-40s.<\/p>\n

Quebec officials have said many of those who died were already suffering from chronic conditions that were worsened by the heat.<\/p>\n

Montreal’s public health office said on Saturday that the majority of people who died in the city were over the age of 60.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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