A Labrador doctor says the region will be hit with more cases of COVID-19, so he's come out of retirement to fight it.

But Dr. Michael Jong knows he — at 68 — is more likely to get very sick or worse if he's infected.

"I'm concerned but I'm not afraid. If anything happens to me, I've lived a full life. I'm very grateful for everything, the opportunities this community has given me," said Jong, who was a family doctor in Labrador for almost three decades before retiring in 2017.

He's one of a handful of recently retired physicians who have been relicensed to practise medicine to fight the pandemic.

I do know that if I get infected my risk of dying is higher but I'm okay with that. - Dr. Michael Jong

"If anything happens to me, they can celebrate my life. I'll do everything I can to not get infected," he said.

"I do know that if I get infected my risk of dying is higher but I'm okay with that."

Jong said his younger colleagues have many productive years ahead of them and families to look after.

"It's better me than anyone else," he said with a laugh. "I've lived my life, really."

More COVID-19 expected in Labrador

Three people in Labrador have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Jong says none of those cases are active now but he doesn't believe the pandemic is done with Labrador.

"We're just at the beginning. We've been delaying it, which is good because we are much more prepared now for the time when it comes," he said.

Jong, who was a professor in Memorial University's medical school and the vice-president of medical services for the Labrador-Grenfell Health Authority when he retired, doesn't doubt the virus will eventually infect more people in the Big Land.

Chief Eugene Hart poses with Jong at the Signals of Hope conference in St John's in 2018. (Submitted)

"It definitely will come because we don't have enough herd immunity — enough immunity in our population here — and we don't have a vaccine yet and it will be another year or more," he said.

Factors that made 1918 influenza deadly in Labrador persist

The 1918 influenza pandemic devastated Labrador, killing one-third of its Inuit population. Jong says people in Labrador are still vulnerable to infectious diseases like the novel coronavirus.

In 1918-19 the Spanish flu swept through Labrador's Inuit population. In one community, Okak, 204 of 263 residents died. (The Rooms)

"It will be especially hard not only for Labrador but for all of northern Canada for many reasons. We're isolated and people live in crowded housing. So the impact will be higher and they will be farther away from health-care resources," said Jong.

"It think it will be better than the influenza pandemic because we are better prepared. It will still be hard but at least we know what is coming."

More testing needed

Jong is calling for more testing in Labrador to make sure people who might bring the virus in are isolated.

"One of the things we need is more testing. I think it will come. We need to be able to do active surveillance to make sure that anyone who comes in is not carrying the virus. If we identify them, we can isolate them and do proper contact. tracing," he said.

I trust our government will provide us with those tests. - Michael Jong

"Without any tests it will be hard to determine who is infected because not everybody will be symptomatic," he said.

"Not everyone who carries the infection will have symptoms. So they could be passing it on without knowing it."

A man is tested in New York City in April for the virus that causes COVID-19. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

Jong is calling for everyone entering Labrador communities to be tested.

"It is possible," he said. "I hope we will get it and I trust our government will provide us with those tests, the same as many other countries are doing it now even at the airports."

At Friday's daily provincial government COVID-19 update, the health minister said the provincial government is being guided by public health recommendations.

"At the moment we have only one project that looks at sentinel surveillance and that's people coming back from Kearl Lake [oilsands facility north of Fort McMurray, Alta.] because they have a higher prior predictive probably of having the disease than any other group," said Haggie.

"Should the evidence change we are quite happy to change as well, but based on public health expertise at the moment, we have the broadest testing criteria when compared to other jurisdictions in Canada."

Premier Dwight Ball said the province is appreciative of the work Jong did over his career and of his coming out of retirement to fight COVID-19. But he added that expanding testing along the north coast of Labrador should be balanced with caution.

"The number of people that are travelling into those communities that could potentially bring the virus in is very limited and travelling is restricted."

A 'privilege' to help

Jong said he had no choice but to return to practice when he learned that Newfoundland and Labrador was asking recently retired doctors to help with the pandemic.

"I want to be on the front line," he said.

"It is a real privilege and to be given that privilege. I can't be any happier."

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