Ottawa waits on SARS

simcoe.com Frank Matys: Orillia Today Apr. 1, 2003

Heightened efforts to control the spread of a potentially-deadly illness could include more extreme measures at Canada's airports, but not before Ottawa gets the nod from medical experts.

Though steps have been taken to monitor travelers arriving from Hong Kong and other regions associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the federal government is stopping short of calling for a general quarantine of all passengers.

"It appears that somebody more or less has to come up and cough in your face to give it," said Simcoe North MP Paul DeVillers. "So we shouldn't be too panicked about it. But we have to be careful."

As the number of reported cases continues to rise in Canada and elsewhere, Ottawa is looking to both the World Health Organization and the U.S.-based Centres for Disease Control for direction, added DeVillers.

As of Sunday, Health Canada had received reports of approximately 98 probable or suspect cases of SARS in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick.

All have occurred in persons who traveled to Asia, or had contact with SARS cases in the household or in a hospital. Four have died. Anyone who visited Scarborough Grace Hospital from March 16-26, or York Central from March 16-28, is asked to voluntarily go into quarantine or call 721-7520.

Presently, the government is advising Canadians against traveling to Asia.

A recommendation by the World Health Organization to screen passengers is being considered by Ottawa, while airlines operating international flights in and out of Canada continue to carry out long-standing procedures to prevent ill passengers from getting on airplanes.

Yet, not until officials within the medical community demonstrate a need for tighter controls would Ottawa be willing to entertain a call to quarantine passengers arriving from southeast Asia.

"We should leave that to the experts," added DeVillers.

"We don't need to have people in a panic mode. On the other hand, if the experts say we need to take these restrictive measures, certainly, we should be there to respond."

Doctors suspect SARS is a respiratory illness passed by spray from a cough or sneeze by an infected person.

Even as the province tightens its grip on hospitals, Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is suggesting DeVillers' government may soon be forced to take a hard-line stance.

"It is a difficult decision," he said. "It is one of these issues of, where do you draw the line? But there is some merit in that. I'm assuming we will have to look at that type of quarantine position in the future, but we will have to take our lead from the medical officers of health."

Already strapped for space, hospital officials have halted some medical procedures, while temporarily relocating one of two dialysis units to make way for a nine-bed isolation room.

"We know this will inconvenience our patients, but we have no choice," said Varouj Eskedjian, assistant executive director of corporate services.

"Every day, as it is, we have a dozen or more patients waiting for beds in our emergency room. Cancelling some surgeries to try to free-up beds is the only way for us to create the space."

Spokesperson Sharon Burkhart again stressed that the local facility has not had any cases of SARS to date, but will continue to restrict visitations to parents of children staying there, and visitors of critically-ill patients. "We have had to turn people away."

All elective surgeries, most elective clinics and certain diagnostic-imaging tests have been cancelled until Friday. Urgent outpatient services will continue, including dialysis, chemotherapy services and the emergency services of the Regional Sexual and Domestic Assault Program.

Medically-necessary visits will continue at the Diabetes Education Centre, but elective education clinics are cancelled. Some staff are being reassigned to assist with duties normally performed by volunteers. As well, unscheduled walk-in patients won't be accepted in the hospital laboratory.

At Casino Rama, the destination of choice for a large number of Toronto players, spokesperson Jenna Hunter has fielded calls from concerned patrons, tour-bus operators and vendors wanting to know if the situation in the GTA is prompting concern locally.

"We are in no immediate danger," she said. "We have been in contact with the proper medical authorities and we have had no suspect or probable cases."

Employees with questions are being directed to the casino's health and safety staff. "We would never do anything that would put (staff or customers) at risk," she said. "There are plans in place if the situation changes. We have contingency plans in place." The casino sold out two weekend shows.