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SARS Setback: Canadian Cases Rising
Aired May 26, 2003 - 14:42 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More medical news now.
The SARS setback in Canada, health officials there warn of more deaths of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. This as the number of SARS cases rise and Toronto lands back on a U.N. list of affected areas.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with the details. What's the deal?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the World Health Organization had taken Toronto off of that list because it seemed to be under control. They hadn't had a new case in a number of weeks and it seemed like it was under control.
But then, now, the announcement that there is a cluster of new cases of SARS in Toronto. Let's take a look at the numbers.
In Toronto there are eight new probable cases of SARS. There are 26 new suspect cases; 822 people have been quarantined. Now these cases are clusters in two hospitals.
What appears to have happened is that there was a patient who went into North York General Hospital for a hip replacement. There were SARS patients there. It appears this patient contracted SARS while in the hospital. But before they diagnosed the patient they transferred this patient, they transferred this patient to a rehabilitation hospital, also in Toronto.
So now people who have been at either of those hospital during specific time periods or at two other hospitals have to be quarantined and so the question that's come up is how could this have happened? Toronto knew that in hospitals they needed to be very careful, take certain infection control procedures because SARS has been such a big problem in hospitals and the Canadian health authorities who we talked to this morning couldn't explain exactly how this happened.
PHILLIPS: Well, what's the CDC saying about travel to Canada?
COHEN: Well, the CDC used to -- used to -- had a travel advisory on for Canada that said you can go to Canada. We're not going to tell you not to go. But if you are going to go, take certain precaution. Wash your hands frequently. Bring gloves with you. They took that off. Well, now they put back on again.
So again, they're saying, "We're not saying don't go to Canada. You can go to Canada. But if you're going to go, take certain precautions." For example, keep up with Internet sites so you know what's going on. Bring a medical kit that includes a mask. Those kinds of precautions.
PHILLIPS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks for the update.
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 26, 2003 - 14:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More medical news now.
The SARS setback in Canada, health officials there warn of more deaths of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. This as the number of SARS cases rise and Toronto lands back on a U.N. list of affected areas.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with the details. What's the deal?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the World Health Organization had taken Toronto off of that list because it seemed to be under control. They hadn't had a new case in a number of weeks and it seemed like it was under control.
But then, now, the announcement that there is a cluster of new cases of SARS in Toronto. Let's take a look at the numbers.
In Toronto there are eight new probable cases of SARS. There are 26 new suspect cases; 822 people have been quarantined. Now these cases are clusters in two hospitals.
What appears to have happened is that there was a patient who went into North York General Hospital for a hip replacement. There were SARS patients there. It appears this patient contracted SARS while in the hospital. But before they diagnosed the patient they transferred this patient, they transferred this patient to a rehabilitation hospital, also in Toronto.
So now people who have been at either of those hospital during specific time periods or at two other hospitals have to be quarantined and so the question that's come up is how could this have happened? Toronto knew that in hospitals they needed to be very careful, take certain infection control procedures because SARS has been such a big problem in hospitals and the Canadian health authorities who we talked to this morning couldn't explain exactly how this happened.
PHILLIPS: Well, what's the CDC saying about travel to Canada?
COHEN: Well, the CDC used to -- used to -- had a travel advisory on for Canada that said you can go to Canada. We're not going to tell you not to go. But if you are going to go, take certain precaution. Wash your hands frequently. Bring gloves with you. They took that off. Well, now they put back on again.
So again, they're saying, "We're not saying don't go to Canada. You can go to Canada. But if you're going to go, take certain precautions." For example, keep up with Internet sites so you know what's going on. Bring a medical kit that includes a mask. Those kinds of precautions.
PHILLIPS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
