Front Burner - N.B. doctor says he wasn't 'patient zero' in his city's outbreak

Episode Date: September 4, 2020

In the spring, Dr. Jean Robert Ngola was singled out as the source of a COVID-19 outbreak in the city of Campbellton, N.B. More than forty cases would later be linked to the outbreak and two people died. But now, an investigation by CBC's The Fifth Estate and Radio-Canada casts increasing doubt on whether he was "patient zero." CBC reporter Judy Trinh tells us more on today's episode of Front Burner.

In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. This is a case of coronavirus. But then, late in the month, an outbreak hit around Campbellton in the north of the province right by the Quebec border. Fingers were immediately pointed at one source, a doctor in the area who had recently traveled across to Quebec

and then didn't self-isolate upon his return. A medical professional who traveled to Quebec for personal reason was not forthcoming about their reasons for travel upon returning to New Brunswick. More than 40 cases would be linked to the outbreak. Two people died. The doctor was suspended from his job without pay, and the RCMP opened an investigation into criminal wrongdoing. But now an investigation by CBC's Fifth Estate and Radio Canada

casts doubt on the claims that Dr. Jean-Robert Ngola was patient zero for the outbreak. Today, CBC reporter Judy Trinh brings us the story. I'm Josh Bloch. This is FrontBurner. Hello, Judy. Hi, Josh. How are you? I'm good, thank you. I want you to take us back to late May. What was the story that was presented to the public at that time about the outbreak in Campbellton, New Brunswick? Well, Josh, the date was May 27th.

And everyone's initial impression was that this cluster of COVID-19 that suddenly appeared in the province after two weeks without any cases was a preventable act and was due to an irresponsible medical professional, because that's how Premier Blaine Higgs labeled him at the news conference. And that was sort of the perception that was left. I have a very high level of concern. Both are concerned to ensure that, to understand, was this a clear or what would appear to be a parent violation of our current rules. You know, if indeed that is the case, you know, we will move forward with understanding. And if charges need to be laid, they will. And right before the premier said that, the doctor's name and identity was out there. It was leaked online, right?

What we found out was that after speaking to Dr. Jean-Robert Ngoula was that he got his test results that morning at 11 a.m. An hour later, he's a family physician and he runs a clinic. One of his staff members called him and says, Dr. Ngoula, your name is being leaked on social media. Everyone knows that you tested positive. And he's floored. And Dr. Ngola, you have to see on Facebook. To see on Facebook, is there a problem? You open your Facebook, a lot of messages.

The insult. The attack. Your pictures, everywhere. And people become, this guy is a small refugee. He come here, he bring the disease to spread everywhere. He has to go back in Africa, He has to go to Ramassin. And then at 2.30 p.m., the premier points to this irresponsible medical professional in a news conference. Wow. I mean, so tell me about the backlash that Dr. N'Gola faced.

I want to take you back to his history there. He has 2,000 patients in Campbellton, His history there, he has 2,000 patients in Campbellton, New Brunswick. He loves that town. He started practicing there seven years ago. And his perception of Campbellton at that time was this wonderful place that welcomed him. You know, when you build your life in some community, serving here, and I build a good good relationship with this community. I love this community. I was their physician. I was integrated to the community activity. I go fishing with the people. I go to the forest. I go to visit the rivers. Everybody know me in Camberton.

So he was shocked. You started with these initial comments on Facebook that we saw. Go back to Africa. And then it was, you're a disease carrier. Then it escalated. People started posting photos of him within an hour or two of his name being leaked. And then all of a sudden, the post starts turning really, really ugly. I saw one post that said he should be lynched and dragged back to Quebec. Wow.

I mean, I understand that he at one point was essentially hiding in his basement with his daughter because he was so afraid about what might happen now that his name was out and people were also posting his address. That's right. Photos of his home were all over the Internet. And people were actually calling 911 saying that they had spotted the doctor shopping at Walmart or leaving the house for a walk. And so they were calling police to visit his home to ensure that he was quarantining with his daughter and abiding by protocols, because obviously the assumption was he had broken the rules before. So he's breaking the rules again. So to be clear, back in May, the perception was that this doctor had traveled to Montreal, had returned to New Brunswick, and had not disclosed

that trip to his employer and not self-isolated for two weeks, which was what was required by law. That's right. Okay, so you've been looking into this story, you've spoken to Dr. N'Gola, and it sounds like what you found is a much fuller picture, even a different picture than the one that was initially presented back in May. Starting with why Dr. Nkola went to Quebec in the first place. I mean, it was for a pretty important reason, right? Yes, absolutely. He gets a call from a woman who is the mother of his child. This woman lives in Montreal. And basically, the woman says, I have to go back to Africa. I have to go back to Africa. My father passed away, and you need to take care of our daughter. And he says, I just can't pick up and go.

I said, what I have to do now, because I know that we are facing a huge pandemic, I try to make some call to have a good one information. I take some precautions before. I make some call to see if there is a danger. If I have a problem to go and come back. So they make this plan. He says, OK, give me some time. So he starts researching what he needs to do. He wants to make sure that he will be able to get back home, that he'll be able to

cross the border. So he calls the RCMP. Remember at that time, the province of New Brunswick had declared a state of emergency and did not want anyone traveling out of the province for non-essential reasons. RCMP tell him, we don't know the rules exactly. Please call the COVID-19 hotline. So he does. He calls the COVID-19 hotline in New Brunswick. They tell him, don't worry, you're a doctor, you're an essential worker, you're going for a short period of time. He tells them the situation and they say, it's okay, you do not have to self-isolate when you come back. it's okay you do not have to self-isolate when you come back so he's still feeling a little uncomfortable about this so he calls the quebec covid hotline for more information the quebec from telling me dr angola there is no clear law about that what you have what you must have you must have the letter that the mother of your daughter gave you the authorization to pick the small lady. It's the advice they gave to me.

In Campbellton, New Brunswick, they told me that you are physicians. When you'll be back in New Brunswick, there is no problem. So what we've seen is we've seen that letter. What we don't know is we don't have phone recordings of those calls to the COVID-19 hotlines. But Dr. Nogola has cell phone records that he called the RCMP, that he called the COVID hot put in on April 6th was that hospital workers should notify their management that they were traveling outside of Quebec and when they return they should self-isolate but it was part of a very long

checklist that they wanted each physician to do before a shift and from what Dr. Ngola has said is that the list was so long and so confusing that few people were actually doing it, but everyone wanted to abide by the provincial law, the Emergency Measures Act. The employer insists and continues to insist that their staff were required to self-isolate if they were to cross that border? From what we've seen, staff were required to self-isolate. But what was actually done in common practice was much different. Dr. Nogola was one of a few dozen doctors who worked at the Campbellton Hospital. What we realized was that 90 employees at the Campbellton Hospital actually live

in Quebec. So they have to cross the bridge every day. The other thing is 20% of the hospital's patients are from Quebec, along with more than 20 doctors who do not live in New Brunswick, but work in the area. So they have to come into Campbellton to see patients. So there is that discrepancy. There were lots of people who were not self-isolating, who were health workers after their return. In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization. Empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. Hi, it's Ramit Sethi here. You may have seen my money show on Netflix. I've been talking about

money for 20 years. I've talked to millions of people and I have some startling numbers to share with you. Did you know that of the people I speak to, 50% of them do not know their own household income. That's not a typo. 50%. That's because money is confusing. In my new book and podcast, Money for Couples, I help you and your partner create a financial vision together. To listen to this podcast, just search for Money for Couples. So I want to talk more about Dr. Angola's trip to Montreal on May 12th. He found out that he tested positive for coronavirus on May 27th. That was two weeks after he traveled to Montreal. And the people he had contact with on his 30-hour trip out of the province,

I believe there were five of them. Do we know if any of them tested positive for coronavirus? So on that trip, he leaves his shift at the hospital at 4 p.m. He drives directly to Montreal. He arrives at his brother's home around 1 a.m. He falls asleep, wakes up the next morning, interacts with his brother, takes his daughter, and they leave. you know, interacts with his brother, takes his daughter, and they leave. So we know for certain that his brother did not have coronavirus. He does make two stops on his way home. He stops at a

doctor's clinic. And the reason for that was that he was planning to meet two doctors from Trois-Rivières. And he wanted to talk to them about moving to Trois-Rivières to join their practice because he wanted to be closer to family in Montreal. And what he tells us is that the doctors were all wearing masks and gloves and they were sitting two meters apart. And I can tell you that the internal investigation that Dr. Nogola's legal team asked a private investigator to look into shows that those two doctors did not have COVID-19. And then on his way back, he leaves and he stops at a gas station in La Poquetière. He paid by credit card tap. So he did have an interaction with the cashier.

And that was it. Then they drove across the border and they were home on the evening of May 13th by 9 p.m. So given everything that you've told me, I mean, what do health experts tell you about the likelihood that Dr. N'Gola contracted coronavirus on that trip to Quebec? So when I brought this question to epidemiologists, they said, well, the risk of him actually contracting COVID-19 on that trip are very low, but not impossible. There was this outbreak after Dr. Angola returned, and dozens of others in Campbellton, the area, they test positive for coronavirus. And this is after the province had been free of the virus for two weeks. So what other possible vectors did you find? They called him patient zero, but he wasn't even the first case.

The first case was actually a child who was in a daycare and that case came out on May 21st. On May 27th, the premier announces along with the public health official that there is a trio of cases, three cases involving a 90 year old man, a doctor, and a child. So we know that the reason why Dr. Nogola was contacted in the first place was because the man in his 90s tested positive. So contact tracing led to Dr. Nogola, and he said, yes, that's my patient. I was in a mask and I filled in his prescription and that was it. So that's why Dr. Nogola went and got the test. But we didn't understand the connection with the child. And when we did our digging, what we found was that the child attended the same daycare as Dr. Nogola's daughter, four-year-old daughter, for one day. Here's the interesting thing, Josh. This boy is the child

of a healthcare worker who works at the Campbellton Hospital. And the parents are separated. So there's another parent who lives across the border in Quebec. And they're not the only ones who cross Quebec constantly. There were dozens of potential sources. I cannot even blame my patients. I received one patient who was positive before me. Do you want me to blame my patients? It's not the attitude of physicians. It's not the attitude of physicians. I do emergency.

I walk to the street. We can contract the virus everywhere. Right. So you have the patients that you mentioned already that were crossing over the border and staff that were crossing over the border and then other cases where you have dual custody with people living on either side of that border as well. All people who are not necessarily required to go into that two week isolation. That's right. But yet Dr. Nogula was the only name that was leaked. That's right. But yet Dr. Nogula was the only name that was leaked.

Dr. Nogula had been suspended without pay by his employer in New Brunswick at that time. He was also investigated by the RCMP. Tell me about those charges and where do they stand now? If you look at the timeline of events, Dr. Nogula's life fell apart within six hours. He found out that he tested positive at 11. His name was leaked on the internet by noon. The premier singled him out at a 2.30 news conference, calling him irresponsible. Then by 4 p.m. that day, his employer, Vitality Health Network, sent him an email notifying him that he was suspended without pay. And then at 5, his daughter, he gets a notice. He gets a call from public health authorities informing him that his daughter had tested positive for COVID-19. That is May 27th.

Then, two days later, after the Premier's comments, both the Premier and Vitality asked the RCMP to conduct a criminal investigation into Dr. Nogula. to conduct a criminal investigation into Dr. Nogola. That investigation lasted six weeks, at the end of which the RCMP says they don't plan to lay any charges. So he's not guilty of anything criminal, but they notify him that he still has to appear. He's given a summons to appear on possible violation of the Provincial Emergency Measures Act.

And we may or we may not charge you. But if he is charged, that fine could be up to $10,000. So at this point, has his name been, it sounds like his name has not been cleared by his former employer or the police or any public official. His lawyer said this provincial summons is the equivalent of a speeding ticket. I think what Joel Etienne, Nogola's lawyer, is so upset about is the damage has already been done. The reputation of his client has already been damaged beyond repair. In one day, everything was destroyed.

You know me, I can go fishing with the population to the forest. I was so well integrated. You know now, in Camberton, I cannot go even to Timorton. I cannot go even to the shop. So does Dr. N'Golo plan to sue? That's what they're working on right now. It could be a formal lawsuit, and it could also be a human rights complaint. It could be both.

They have now a constitutional law expert on their team. The reason why they have this person is that they believe that his right, his charter right to due process has been violated and there has been an abuse of power by the province. So they are going to fight this on multiple fronts. How does Dr. Ngola reflect on this experience now? Well, I guess the best way of explaining that is to call it disillusionment. He had this

perception of Canada, of his community of New Brunswick, of being so warm and welcoming, because that was his experience up until May 27th. He told me that his patients would refer to him as a black Acadian. Like this is how welcome he felt. He would fish with people in the Restigouche River. he felt. He would fish with people in the Restigouche River. So he was well-received. And now his vision of Canada has really changed. He doesn't, he feels betrayed by his employer. And he also has seen a really ugly side of residents in his community who he thought welcomed him with open arms. Judy, thank you so much for speaking with me today. It was my pleasure. Thank you. Okay, that's all for today. FrontBurner is brought to you by CBC News and CBC Podcasts.

The show was produced this week by Mark Apollonio, Imogen Burchard, Nahayat Tizoush, and Derek Vanderwyk. Mandy Sham does our sound design with help from Mac Cameron. Our music is by Joseph Chabison of Boombox Sound. The executive producer of FrontBurner this week was Elaine Chao. I'm Josh Bloch. Thanks for listening to FrontBurner.