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CNN Live Today
Daily Dose: Coping With SARS Concerns
Aired April 25, 2003 - 11:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, three different views there you have.
Well, in our daily dose of health news we're going to talk about coping with concerns about SARS, how you can protect yourself and when you should see a doctor. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us once again.
I thought that first e-mail from the guy who said he was a professional driver was particularly interesting. You're more likely to die in a traffic accident in Toronto than you are of SARS.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, way, way, way more likely. Absolutely. Absolutely.
And so we raise the question, When should you worry about SARS? Well Daryn, the vast majority of people who can hear us right now do not need to worry that their cough and fever are SARS. That's what -- you know, people are joking. I even -- I hear it all the time. Maybe I have SARS. I say, You know what? You probably don't and the reason why is that you really don't need to worry unless you fall into two categories. And this is again for the people who can hear us. I'm not talking to people in China right now.
If you have a cough and fever and just came back from China or Hong Kong or Toronto, Yes, you should be concerned and you should call your doctor. If you have a coughing and a fever and some one who you're in close contact with -- let's say, your husband or your wife just came back from Hong Kong or China or Toronto, yes, you should be concerned and you should call your doctor.
Now, you'll notice I said call your doctor and not actually go to your doctor. The CDC is now saying we'd really rather you call first because if they're concerned that you have SARS, they need to put certain infection control procedures in place.
Now if it turns out that you do have SARS they will tell you that you should stay home. They will put you in isolation.
Now it's interesting, in Canada, some people have violated their isolation and just gone out and gone about their daily business. That's been a problem. And if the person is at home, they should wear also wear a mask and household members should follow strict hygiene recommendations. They should wash their hands frequently. They should also wear a mask if for some person the sick person is unable to. KAGAN: Well, I'm going to make this a personal question because my sister has done a lot of business in Toronto. I thought that job was done but she e-mailed me this morning saying she might have to go back. So, if my sister does have to go back to Toronto, what kind of precautions should she take...
COHEN: Right.
KAGAN: ...she goes.
COHEN: And it's interesting because the CDC is not telling people not to go to Toronto. If your sister called the CDC, they'd say, You know, it's OK if you go, but there are certain precautions that you need to cover. For example, the CDC would tell Daryn's sister that she ought to carry a medical kit with her that includes gloves and a mask. She wouldn't have to wear them while she was there, but just in case things got worse or she went to certain areas, she might actually want to put them on.
In addition, she should keep track of Web sites: the Health Canada Web site, the CDC Web site because these things are changing all the time.
In addition, she should wash her hands frequently. And so those are some of the things you need to remember.
KAGAN: So kind of like when I was in Kuwait, you didn't have to put on the respirator, just have it there with you.
COHEN: Yes. Absolutely.
KAGAN: All right.
COHEN: And another thing that's important and you didn't have to worry about this in Kuwait, but in Toronto, you wouldn't want to go into hospitals where there have been SARS outbreak. You would want to avoid that.
KAGAN: I think we can cover that.
COHEN: OK. Good. Good. Very good.
KAGAN: Thank you very much, Elizabeth Cohen.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 25, 2003 - 11:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, three different views there you have.
Well, in our daily dose of health news we're going to talk about coping with concerns about SARS, how you can protect yourself and when you should see a doctor. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us once again.
I thought that first e-mail from the guy who said he was a professional driver was particularly interesting. You're more likely to die in a traffic accident in Toronto than you are of SARS.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, way, way, way more likely. Absolutely. Absolutely.
And so we raise the question, When should you worry about SARS? Well Daryn, the vast majority of people who can hear us right now do not need to worry that their cough and fever are SARS. That's what -- you know, people are joking. I even -- I hear it all the time. Maybe I have SARS. I say, You know what? You probably don't and the reason why is that you really don't need to worry unless you fall into two categories. And this is again for the people who can hear us. I'm not talking to people in China right now.
If you have a cough and fever and just came back from China or Hong Kong or Toronto, Yes, you should be concerned and you should call your doctor. If you have a coughing and a fever and some one who you're in close contact with -- let's say, your husband or your wife just came back from Hong Kong or China or Toronto, yes, you should be concerned and you should call your doctor.
Now, you'll notice I said call your doctor and not actually go to your doctor. The CDC is now saying we'd really rather you call first because if they're concerned that you have SARS, they need to put certain infection control procedures in place.
Now if it turns out that you do have SARS they will tell you that you should stay home. They will put you in isolation.
Now it's interesting, in Canada, some people have violated their isolation and just gone out and gone about their daily business. That's been a problem. And if the person is at home, they should wear also wear a mask and household members should follow strict hygiene recommendations. They should wash their hands frequently. They should also wear a mask if for some person the sick person is unable to. KAGAN: Well, I'm going to make this a personal question because my sister has done a lot of business in Toronto. I thought that job was done but she e-mailed me this morning saying she might have to go back. So, if my sister does have to go back to Toronto, what kind of precautions should she take...
COHEN: Right.
KAGAN: ...she goes.
COHEN: And it's interesting because the CDC is not telling people not to go to Toronto. If your sister called the CDC, they'd say, You know, it's OK if you go, but there are certain precautions that you need to cover. For example, the CDC would tell Daryn's sister that she ought to carry a medical kit with her that includes gloves and a mask. She wouldn't have to wear them while she was there, but just in case things got worse or she went to certain areas, she might actually want to put them on.
In addition, she should keep track of Web sites: the Health Canada Web site, the CDC Web site because these things are changing all the time.
In addition, she should wash her hands frequently. And so those are some of the things you need to remember.
KAGAN: So kind of like when I was in Kuwait, you didn't have to put on the respirator, just have it there with you.
COHEN: Yes. Absolutely.
KAGAN: All right.
COHEN: And another thing that's important and you didn't have to worry about this in Kuwait, but in Toronto, you wouldn't want to go into hospitals where there have been SARS outbreak. You would want to avoid that.
KAGAN: I think we can cover that.
COHEN: OK. Good. Good. Very good.
KAGAN: Thank you very much, Elizabeth Cohen.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
