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New SARS outbreak feared at Whitby hospital Fifteen dialysis patients have respiratory symptoms HELEN BRANSWELL CANADIAN PRESS An unexplained cluster of respiratory illnesses at a hospital east of Toronto has Ontario's SARS containment team worried about the possibility of a new outbreak of the disease. Fifteen dialysis patients of the Whitby site of the Lakeridge Health Centre have pneumonia or respiratory symptoms and are under investigation as possible SARS patients, Dr. James Young, Ontario's commissioner of public security, said today. In addition, "there have been some staff reports of illness today which we are looking into," said Dr. Donna Reynolds,...

BEIJING (AFP) - China was facing disaster in its fight against SARS (news - web sites) and the epidemic was far from over despite a recent fall in the number of new cases, a leading Chinese health official said. "In light of the spread patterns of SARS, we are fully aware that the fight against SARS in China is far from being over," Gao Qiang, vice minister of health, told an international meeting on the outbreak. "The SARS epidemic is a disaster facing the whole of mankind, China is the largest victim and the Chinese people have suffered greatly." The...

Doctor raises spectre of asymptomatic SARS CTV.ca News Staff Dr. Barbara Mederski, an infectious disease specialist at North York General, is raising a provocative and intriguing theory about the latest SARS outbreak to hit Toronto. She says she and her colleagues have clinical evidence of people who contracted SARS but didn't get sick. They're asymptomatic carriers who have the virus and are in the community and coping. "As soon as you suggest 'It's out there,' people will panic and they will be fearful. I'm suggesting the opposite," Mederski says. "We will now be able to say many people get it,...

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Health Ministry said on Friday the declining rate of new SARS (news - web sites) infections in Beijing will allow it to cut the number of hospitals designated to deal with the flu-like disease to seven from 19. · Taiwan reports nine new SARS cases AFP - 39 minutes ago · Health officials brace for "nervous" weekend as SARS deaths climb to 30 AFP - 1 hour, 32 minutes ago · China Denies SARS Cover-Up in Beijing AP - 2 hours, 21 minutes ago Latest SARS News The announcement came as the ministry reported seven new...

Fear and loathing on hospital floor Endlessly masked, gowned, shielded Nurse hasn't told mother, children THERESA BOYLE QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU In the course of a single shift, Grace goes through at least 25 pairs of latex gloves, 10 gowns, 10 masks and five sets of green scrubs. For the registered nurse in the SARS unit of a GTA hospital, frequent wardrobe changes have become de rigueur in this "new-normal" era of infection control. The bridge of her nose is peeling because of the chafing from two masks she must constantly wear. They have left red indentations on the sides of...

SARS-hit city plans tourism boost May 30, 2003 BEIJING is set to launch a tourism drive to combat plunging arrivals by foreign visitors caused by the SARS crisis, state media reported today. The offensive comes amid predictions that the number of foreign tourists to the Chinese capital will fall 44 per cent this year from last year's 3.1 million, the China Daily said. To counter the crisis, Beijing intends to promote 30 new tourism products and to invite overseas media to inspect the city, Gu Xiaoyuan, vice director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau, said. Overseas travel agencies that organise tour...

TORONTO (AP) — According to Canadian reports, Shania Twain (news) and Neil Young (news) are both rumored to be considering participating in a concert billed as "the music event of a lifetime." It's all part of countering the problem of SARS (news - web sites). Toronto officials are hoping the star-studded June 21 show will restore the city's reputation as a fun, safe place to visit and bring much-needed tourism dollars to the city. Pop artists Sarah McLachlan (news), Avril Lavigne (news) and the Barenaked Ladies (news - web sites) are already onboard for six hours of music spread across...

A good way to humanize this, for our brothers and sisters in Toronto...this is real Letter to a friend in quarantine JOE FIORITO SARS strikes at us again. More masks, more gowns, more people stuck at home. Maybe you can't take a walk around the block for the next 10 days, but you can let us be your eyes and ears. Today, city columnist Joe Fiorito begins a series of 10 letters addressed to all those in voluntary quarantine. It's fun for the first day, right? After all, who really misses work? Trouble is, there's only so much daytime TV...

This eems like a duplicate post, the important part is the second part. The first domino. Student developed symptoms Lack of staff shuts TGH emergency May. 28, 2003. 07:03 AM Only 25 per cent of SARS victims develop pneumonia - the rest suffer only fever and cold symptoms. SARS victims have 95-98 per cent chance of recovery. Common pneumonia kills at a much higher rate than SARS - up to 50 per cent when it is spread amongst the ill or elderly at hospitals. - Star staff 1,500 Markham students in quarantine Student developed symptoms Lack of staff shuts TGH...

· Toronto Probes Possible SARS Case in High School Reuters - 18 minutes ago · Canada ramp up control measures after letting down SARS guard too early AFP - Tue May 27, 6:36 PM ET · Tests Find SARS Link in Animals, Humans AP - Tue May 27, 1:40 PM ET Latest SARS News Local health services said late on Tuesday they would hold a press conference on Wednesday to discuss "possible SARS exposure" at a high school after a student went to class last week with symptoms of SARS. If confirmed, the case in a Toronto-area school would mean...

Premier puts SARS crisis, teachers' lockout ahead of vote ROBERT BENZIE QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU Plans for a provincial election are on hold because of the latest SARS scare and a lockout affecting 69,000 Toronto Catholic students, Premier Ernie Eves said yesterday. "I'm not thinking of elections right now. I'm thinking of the problems we have on our plate," Eves told reporters at an Etobicoke training session for Conservative party candidates. "It's not a question of what I would like to do, it's a question ... of taking care of the priorities right now that are before us," he said, referring...

May 23, 2003, 10:00 PM ET The previous CDC SARS case definition (published May 20, 2003) has been updated as follows: In the Epidemiologic Criteria, the last date of illness onset for inclusion as reported case for Toronto, Canada is now “ongoing.” Clinical Criteria Asymptomatic or mild respiratory illness Moderate respiratory illness Temperature of >100.4º F (>38º C)*, and One or more clinical findings of respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or hypoxia). Severe respiratory illness Temperature of >100.4º F (>38º C)*, and One or more clinical findings of respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, difficulty...

This summer, U.C. Berkeley will not admit students from SARS (news - web sites)-infected countries. • Two New Suspected Bay Area SARS Cases • Health Officials May Have Upper Hand on SARS • Business Travelers Forced to Stay Home for SARS Safety • Stanford Preps for Possible SARS Quarantine Cal is the first major U.S. university to ban enrollment of new students from China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The decision affects about 500 students who were planning to attend summer school sessions starting May 27. "There's not a lot of information out about SARS," said Peter Dietrich, the university...

I just finished a two hour tour of the USS Cole and thought some of you may enjoy a first hand account. As I'm sure most freepers know, 17 brave sailors were murdered on the morning of October 12, 2000. A homicide bombing was carried out as the ship was refueling in the port of Aden in Yemen. Today is the third day of the Ft Lauderdale Air and Sea show, there are five Navy ships and one USCG cutter moored in port everglades. Unfortunately the port is for the first time, closed to the public. Only VIP's who have...

I just finished a two hour tour of the USS Cole and thought some of you may enjoy a first hand account. As I'm sure most freepers know, 17 brave sailors were murdered on the morning of October 12, 2000. A homicide bombing was carried out as the ship was refueling in the port of Aden in Yemen. Today is the third day of the Ft Lauderdale Air and Sea show, there are five Navy ships and one USCG cutter moored in port everglades. Unfortunately the port is for the first time, closed to the public. Only VIP's who have...