SARS

We are starting to hear about some of the side effects and physical problems caused by the high potency drugs being used to treat SARS, and the illness itself.

Recovering Sars patients in Hong Kong have suffered from hallucinations, manic behaviour, rapid mood swings and memory loss after being treated with large doses of steroids.

Many are doctors and nurses who have found their concentration and short-term memory impaired since returning to work. Sars specialists say that it is too early to tell whether the problems are permanent.

“Although this has now improved, it is not as good as in the past. It would appear that this is due to the medication or the illness itself, and this may cause central nervous system impairment.”

The disturbing evidence has emerged as health authorities in Hong Kong begin to assess the hidden physical and mental costs of the Sars outbreak.

About 8 thousand people are in quarantine in Toronto, there has been another death this weekend bring the mortality rate to 31. Although the latest outbreak can be traced to a specific Toronto hospital, areas east, west and north of Toronto are coping with possible SARS cases and quarantines, under revised definitions.

Progressive Conservatives
Joe Who (Joe Clark) said goodbye this weekend at the federal PC convention and the new leader is Nova Scotian Peter MacKay. He won on the fourth ballot after making a deal with the third place contender.

The convention and MacKay’s surprise deal with third-place contender David Orchard — a career free-trade critic once described as a tourist in the party — has provided ammunition for all Tory opponents, not to mention a sizeable faction within the party itself.

MacKay did little to allay suspicions Sunday when he refused to release copies of what he called “a gentleman’s agreement” — a written document he signed to ensure Orchard’s endorsement on the convention floor. Even the Tory caucus didn’t get to see the actual paper.

The deal has upset Tory party members, even though many of them didn’t show up to the convention to vote.

But Orchard has provided most of the broad details: the deal not only commits MacKay to establish a panel to re-examine the North American Free Trade Agreement, but also commits to ensuring no merger or even riding-by-riding electoral arrangements between Tories and the Canadian Alliance.

Deputy party leader Elsie Wayne is being asked to step down, and hopes to retain her role as defense critic.

Blog Ownership

The Federal Communication Commission today proposed restricting the number of weblogs a company or individual may own.

via BuzzMachine