“The name of this game is you have to over-react, and can then ease restrictions.”

Dr James Young, Ontario Commissioner of Public Safety says the province is prepared to see Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outside the Greater Toronto area.
That’s not really news now.

A northern Ontario woman is quarantined, and there is another probable case in the north. It is also spreading west past the GTA.
I don’t think anyone in Canada will be surprised if other provinces take similar measures. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and New Brunswick are reporting suspected cases.

Those restrictions, such as limits on hospital visits and transfers of patients between hospitals, and checks on people entering hospitals, were imposed last week to prevent the disease from spreading.

But “we logically expect we may start to see it” in other areas,” Young said. “We expect there will be cases that will show up in other areas of the province.”

graph by cre8d-design
used by permission

So, what does any of this have to do with me?
Travel advisories aren’t just written for others, they are for you also. Defer!
Know the symptoms of SARS.
Know what to do if you or anyone around you shows symptoms.
Over 100 people in Ontario are suspected cases, not yet confirmed.
Use common sense - this is most likely a previously unknown coronavirus, spread like a common cold would be.
If you are asked to quarantine, be considerate. Thousands are under quarantine in Ontario.
Avoid contact with others.
The government can detain for 48 hours if someone is non-compliant. After 48 hours a court order is required.
You will be asked to enter quarantine if you have recently been to affected areas in Asia or had close contact with an infected person.

Close contact means living in the same household, providing care to someone with SARS, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a person with SARS.
Voluntary quarantines are currently 10 days. That may be raised to two weeks.
Medical resources in some areas are stretched to the limit.
Quarantine isn’t a punishment, it is required to prevent the rapid spread of an illness that can kill, not just the young and the old, but healthy people your age too.
Medical personnel do not know how to treat this infection.
Drug cocktails of broad spectrum antibiotics, anti-virals, steriods and a serum from others infected are being tried in supportive treatment.

SARS is spreading because we do live in a global village. You can help by staying informed.
Why not talk to older people in your life who remember what it was like when there was no treatment for diseases like diptheria and polio.
They know what quarantines meant and can give first person accounts of the common sense practised by families and communities to protect themselves, their neighbours, and others.
Information on this illness since it’s detection is on the sidebar to the left.

France has now issued a travel advisory.

Ian’s Messy Desk from Canada also has good SARS links.

And while this world wide outbreak peaks, Canadian and American taxpayers will be forking out for the upcoming fight against the West Nile virus. As a friend of mine says, *sigh*.

Bolivia
A village in northern Bolivia has been buried in a mudslide caused by heavy rains. Officials say at least 50 are presumed dead. The same village lost 8 people in a similar slide two years ago.