SARS outbreak and response in Toronto

¶ … SARS with a focus on the impact it is having in Toronto Canada. The writer explores what the epidemic is about and what Toronto officials are doing to combat and contain it. There were three sources used to complete this paper.

SARS in Toronto

Around the world the medical community is focusing on a new virus called SARS. When SARS first began to surface the concentration was in China. Travelers to and from there were cautioned to be careful and there were many quarantines occurring throughout the area. In more recent history however the focus has moved from China to Toronto as the virus has made the leap and is now in North America. While America watches its northward neighbor with a watchful eye Toronto scrambles to contain and eradicate its existence among its residents.

The death toll in Toronto currently sits at almost 40 with an additional 28 suspected as having SARS based on their symptoms and recent life events. Sixteen of those 28 are listed in critical condition with life threatening symptoms (SARS, 2003).

Canada's largest city has suffered two outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome, the first beginning in March and the second in May. The World Health Organization warned against nonessential travel to the city in April, but later lifted its travel advisory. Thousands of people were placed under 10-day quarantine across the greater Toronto area during the largest SARS outbreak outside of Asia (SARS, 2003)."

Toronto officials have taken a proactive approach and are working to track the location of 120 people who tested positive for the virus in March. The outbreak of SARS in Toronto has had a negative impact on the Toronto tourisms industry as well with an overall decrease in visits to the area of 5.8%. The numbers of Canadians who travel abroad also declined by 6.2% (SARS, 2003).

A last week the Canadian officials announced there is a decline in the number of SARS death the area had previously experienced. "Canada is the only country outside Asia to report deaths related to severe acute respiratory syndrome.All 35 Canadian SARS-linked deaths have occurred in the Toronto area, Canada's largest city and the capital of Ontario province. Health officials here said Thursday the active caseload fell to 35 from 42, with 31 probable and four suspect cases in total.

Compared to 10 days ago, our active caseload is down by half," Ontario health commissioner Colin D'Cunha said (Canada, 2003)."

This recent outbreak was the second time Toronto dealt with SARS. Just as the first outbreak was under control and officials removed the need for SARS preventative measures that included "gloves, gowns and masks on all hospital staff -- as the first SARS outbreak came under control and active SARS cases were being reduced to single digits. Everything came back on quickly after the man's discovery."

This second outbreak provided new information about its transmission according to health officials.

People can be mildly infected... that in itself is not very surprising, but what's more important is could these people transmit the virus when they had such a mild disease," Low said, adding that there was no evidence of such transmission (Canada, 2003). "

CONCLUSION