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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Donald Low

Aired May 24, 2003 - 12:25   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now on SARS, for the first time since mid-March, Hong Kong is reporting no new cases of the virus. Altogether, the territory has confirmed 1,724 cases of Severe Acute Repertory Syndrome, with 262 deaths. That level is second only to Mainland China's, which has more than 5,000 SARS cases and 308 deaths. Chinese officials are reporting 34 new infections today with five additional deaths.
The Hong Kong government has suspended the import of civet meat after researchers said the SARS virus may have been transmitted to humans from the cat-like animal which is consider a delicacy in Southern China.

But, Toronto appears to be in trouble again involving SARS. Travelers headed there are being advised of new concerns. Health officials are investigating at least 25 possible new cases linked to two area hospitals. Dr. Donald Low is a microbiologist helping with that probe, and he joins us now on the telephone from Toronto.

Dr. Low, good to have you with us.

DR. DONALD LOW, MICROBIOLOGIST: Well, thanks Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Now, these new 25 reported cases are coming at a time where just ten days after the WHO lifted its travel advisory, it sounds, as though now, that Toronto may be put into the same category as China, which first underreported or perhaps even underestimated the seriousness of this SARS case. How serious is this for you?

LOW: Well, I mean, it's obviously a set back. We recognized a couple days ago, on Wednesday, that in a rehab hospital that some cases of pneumonia, that we now feel confident are SARS, and then linked this back to a community hospital where there is other cases that would -- or were obviously very highly suspicious of, and are literally investigating that over the weekend. So, it's a setback, but it's occurred in -- again, it occurred in the hospital setting and this -- we weren't free from SARS in Toronto in the sense that we had cases in the hospital, and this is something that we're learning as -- this disease can be transmitted and it can occur in patients that have minimal signs and symptoms.

WHITFIELD: Well, occurring in the hospital setting. Are you saying that the majority of these 25 new cases involve health care workers?

LOW: They involve patients in hospital, there are some health care workers that involved, and direct family members. We haven't seen any evidence of disease in the community and it's been over -- well over a month since we've seen any evidence of community disease.

WHITFIELD: Well, I've seen it reported these 25 new cases brings the threat, now, that as many as 1,000 people, whether it be some of their family members, at home outside that hospital, may have been exposed. What do you say about that?

LOW: Well, I mean, that -- we're obviously being very careful and cautious to make sure that we haven't seen disease in the community and that's what we've done all through this outbreak is to look at every contact, every possible contact that may have occurred with these, even though they're only suspect, and making sure there isn't disease there, and if there is, that those patients are correctly identified and put in quarantine.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Dr. Low, real quick before we let you go, the World Health Organization lifted the travel advisory ten days ago, but now the CDC is putting out a travel warning. What should people do? Should they be going to Toronto or not?

LOW: Well, absolutely, there is really, and I wouldn't say this if I didn't believe it in my heart, there's no threat for everybody coming to Toronto. This is a disease that's in the hospital setting and we're dealing with it in that setting and preventing further transmission.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Donald Low, thank you very much for joining us.

LOW: Thank you.

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 May 24, 2003 - 12:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now on SARS, for the first time since mid-March, Hong Kong is reporting no new cases of the virus. Altogether, the territory has confirmed 1,724 cases of Severe Acute Repertory Syndrome, with 262 deaths. That level is second only to Mainland China's, which has more than 5,000 SARS cases and 308 deaths. Chinese officials are reporting 34 new infections today with five additional deaths.
The Hong Kong government has suspended the import of civet meat after researchers said the SARS virus may have been transmitted to humans from the cat-like animal which is consider a delicacy in Southern China.

But, Toronto appears to be in trouble again involving SARS. Travelers headed there are being advised of new concerns. Health officials are investigating at least 25 possible new cases linked to two area hospitals. Dr. Donald Low is a microbiologist helping with that probe, and he joins us now on the telephone from Toronto.

Dr. Low, good to have you with us.

DR. DONALD LOW, MICROBIOLOGIST: Well, thanks Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Now, these new 25 reported cases are coming at a time where just ten days after the WHO lifted its travel advisory, it sounds, as though now, that Toronto may be put into the same category as China, which first underreported or perhaps even underestimated the seriousness of this SARS case. How serious is this for you?

LOW: Well, I mean, it's obviously a set back. We recognized a couple days ago, on Wednesday, that in a rehab hospital that some cases of pneumonia, that we now feel confident are SARS, and then linked this back to a community hospital where there is other cases that would -- or were obviously very highly suspicious of, and are literally investigating that over the weekend. So, it's a setback, but it's occurred in -- again, it occurred in the hospital setting and this -- we weren't free from SARS in Toronto in the sense that we had cases in the hospital, and this is something that we're learning as -- this disease can be transmitted and it can occur in patients that have minimal signs and symptoms.

WHITFIELD: Well, occurring in the hospital setting. Are you saying that the majority of these 25 new cases involve health care workers?

LOW: They involve patients in hospital, there are some health care workers that involved, and direct family members. We haven't seen any evidence of disease in the community and it's been over -- well over a month since we've seen any evidence of community disease.

WHITFIELD: Well, I've seen it reported these 25 new cases brings the threat, now, that as many as 1,000 people, whether it be some of their family members, at home outside that hospital, may have been exposed. What do you say about that?

LOW: Well, I mean, that -- we're obviously being very careful and cautious to make sure that we haven't seen disease in the community and that's what we've done all through this outbreak is to look at every contact, every possible contact that may have occurred with these, even though they're only suspect, and making sure there isn't disease there, and if there is, that those patients are correctly identified and put in quarantine.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Dr. Low, real quick before we let you go, the World Health Organization lifted the travel advisory ten days ago, but now the CDC is putting out a travel warning. What should people do? Should they be going to Toronto or not?

LOW: Well, absolutely, there is really, and I wouldn't say this if I didn't believe it in my heart, there's no threat for everybody coming to Toronto. This is a disease that's in the hospital setting and we're dealing with it in that setting and preventing further transmission.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Donald Low, thank you very much for joining us.

LOW: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com