SARS: India on red alert

Hindustan Times ^

[per loin]

SARS: India on red alert

HT Correspondent New Delhi, April 22
A red alert has been announced across the country to deal with the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). All state health ministers and secretaries will meet on Thursday to lay out a plan of action. In Delhi on Tuesday, a 29-year-old woman who arrived from Guangdong Province in China was admitted at the infectious diseases hospital. Doctors say her case seems to fit the clinical definition of SARS, but they are awaiting test results. Two other cases — a man each in Jaipur and Nashik, both back from the US — are in hospital with SARS-like symptoms, but Director General Health Services (DGHS) Dr SP Aggarwal said they seemed unlikely to be SARS-afflicted. Responding to members' queries on SARS in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was no need for panic. "We are fully geared to meet the challenge," she said. "There is no negligence, there is no apathy, I assure you," she said as MPs alleged that airports were ill-equipped to deal with the situation. Swaraj, who will head the meeting on Thursday, told members the World Health Organization had appreciated India's efficient handling of the situation. She also said Indian doctors had proved they were capable of identifying and treating SARS cases without external help. Though she ruled out cancellation of all international flights as it was unfeasible, the health minister assured the House there was a fool-proof mechanism at airports for screening overseas passengers. Suspect cases were quarantined and allowed to go only after urine, blood, sputum and nasal discharge samples had tested negative. Swaraj also said a central control room in her ministry headed by the DGHS was keeping a watch on developments. Health counters manned by doctors have been set up at 12 international and nine customs airports. Swaraj also refuted the Opposition's claim that the government was concealing SARS cases. "We are hiding nothing and we update the media every day so that nothing is left to assumption," she said. In Pune, doctors have quarantined 25 guests and the priest who were at the wedding of Julie D’Silva, (who tested positive for SARS on Monday along with her brother and mother).                                  ************************

[HiTech RedNeck]

She actually has one of those floor fixtures, in the USA? Or you just mean it's that filthy around the toilet.

[Gritty]

I would love to hear what other folks are doing and thinking of doing to prepare to try to avoid getting this.

For what it's worth, I'm treating this a lot like Y2K. The nice thing is, I still have some of my stash left, especially non-perishables. I have picked up a couple of N95 masks in addition. I am planning on 4-6 months of spotty food and staples delivery if this thing gets really going here. Also, planning for no electricity or water, which may be a stretch. Heat probably won't be a problem at this time of year. It is possible large areas may be quarantined for a while and some business and transportation might be shut down. But, if the disease runs a full course, it could be months of disruptions.

I don't know though. Maybe I am over reacting. Anything could happen, and usually things don't get as bad as you should plan for. But, just in case...

However, if this thing gets out of the box and mortality rates run 10-15% things could get grim in our inter-dependent society, especially if staples start to run low in your area.

[riri]

She actually has one of those floor fixtures, in the USA

LOL. No, but I almost did clarify that I meant the uncleanliness of it.

[riri]

Interesting, thanks.

[StormEye]

Ugh! Gross beyond belief!
Take that photo away!

[Malsua]

These things are all over the rest of the world. This is actually a "good" one.

Most are just a ceramic hole, and yes, all are NASTY. The don't get the hygiene issue much.

My company is in the process of building a Chinese factory(something I personally oppose but have no say in the matter). There was one real toilet put in and 4 of these abominations put in for the factory workers.

True story. I used to work for John Wiley and Sons. Take a look at bookshelf with science or college books and you'll see see Wiley books there. Anyway, they once hired about 20 fresh off the boat people here in the states. This happened maybe 10 years ago.

After several days, someone reported a "problem" with the floor worker's bathroom. A staffer went in there and saw something that was incredibly unhealthy and caused the factory to go into shutdown.

The workers had no idea how to use a toilet. They crapped all over the seats, and never flushed. EVERY toilet was plugged with uhm, well you can guess. They had to call in a septic company to pump them all out. They were squatting over the toilets and aim was bad. They didn't know they flushed. Some even crapped in the urinals. They've since learned to teach these folks how to use the bathroom. Toilet paper use also wasn't something these folks knew. Hands as a replacement = stall knobs uhm covered as well. Not good.

The rest of the world uses these toilets daily and it's inconceivable for us born and raised on a good ole American Standard.

[Domestic Church]

Good grief! The latrines at scout camp looked more sanitary.

[Dog Gone]

I have been on some trans-atlantic flights where the women (I think they were Indian) had no clue how to operate or use the toilets. It was clear that they tried to straddle, and that was no easy feat.

The results were not pretty.

[neither-nor]

"Better just nuke the whole country while we've still got a chance to head things off."

Nice statement, genius. I live in India. You speak so easily of killing people; is this your personal Final Solution?