SARS SHUTS TORONTO SCHOOL, 6,400 IN QUARANTINE (Nurses' Calls Not Heeded!!!!!)

WashingtonPost ^ | May 28, 2003 | Rajiv Sekhri

[patriciaruth]

I've heard that SARS can live for five days on fomites (things it lands on by a patient touching it or couging near it). This is a nasty statistic as far as contagious spread is concerned if it is true. It is this information which concerns me that protective gear may not be enough.

Tball, SARS is like have Influenza A and pneumonia at the same time, and takes weeks to recover from, with a higher death rate than either. It's a nasty germ.

[patriciaruth]

Their Govt. sponsored Health Care is making the problem worse by trying to cover up the problem in the first place.

Agree completely. I worry that our HMO's may fail to meet the challenge for the same reason.

[patriciaruth]

Other doctors and nurses in china have used protective gear with sad results.

I remember in the movie about the Russian submarine that had a nuclear accident, that the doctor discovered their protective gear was for chemicals not for radiation. He put it on the workers anyone before they went in to fix the radiation leak, so they'd think they were protected even though they were going to their deaths.

[travelnurse]

Thank you, TaxRelief

Canada's Probable SARS Cases Rise, Could Reach 70
http://news.yahoo.com/?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=586&e=6&u=/nm/20030529/wl_nm/s

[travelnurse]

Agree completely. I worry that our HMO's may fail to meet the challenge for the same reason.

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I guess it depends on how good your HMO is. But I cannot visualize our health care system letting this get out of control here... we have faced many severe contagious infections here, and our hospitals I think have a very good record of keeping things under control.

[travelnurse]

I've heard that SARS can live for five days on fomites (things it lands on by a patient touching it or couging near it). This is a nasty statistic as far as contagious spread is concerned if it is true. It is this information which concerns me that protective gear may not be enough.

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Patients rooms and equipment are decontaminated THOROUGHLY once an infected patient leaves the room, or WHENEVER NECESSARY. Personnel double glove, double gown, goggles, wear proper respirator mask (not the flimsy ones you see in the pics. from China, Canada, Taiwan that do not filter out microorganisms) whenever they enter the room, and leave all contaminated material in the room in a biohazard container. Before the contaminated material leaves the room, it is double-bagged and placed in a heavy duty red bio-hazard bag. All clean bags are left out side the patient room until in an isolation cart until used so it is not contaminated. Once it leaves the room, it is promptly disposed.

The research I have indicates that the virus can live outside its host for 24 hours on tables, equipment, etc.

[Judith Anne]

I just read in a NEJM article on flutters' SARS article thread that SARS patients are contagious during the incubation period, before symptoms.

Did you see that? I'm thunderstruck. I can get the link if you want to see it...

[Judith Anne]

Here's that link:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/348/20/e6

And I've read that the SARS virus can survive longer than 24 hours on surfaces....

[travelnurse]

Very good article... Thanks
The crux of the message is >>Take Isolation Precautions SERIOUSLY!!<<

[travelnurse]

I just read in a NEJM article on flutters' SARS article thread that SARS patients are contagious during the incubation period, before symptoms.

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That is why it is soooooooooooo important to know who you are around at all times, and know where they have been. If they have been in Toronto, or any SARS affected area, then stay away from them for at least 20 days. If you work in a hospital or medical setting, screen all your patients and visitors, ask questions.

The common cold is also contagious during the incubation period before symptoms develop so I'm not surprised about SARS.

[Nita Nupress]

Is there a registration name/code that Freepers use for the Washington Compost?

[travelnurse]

Do you mean WashingtonPost?

[Nita Nupress]

Do you mean WashingtonPost?

Yeah, that rag that tries to pass for a newspaper.

But never mind the question. Their registration page just asked for a year of birth and gender instead of a name.