X-Message-Number: 21802
Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 15:39:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Christine Gaspar <>
Subject: Fwd: Re: SARS in Australia

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Hi there. I am forwarding a letter I received from Veronica Sullivan, as well as
my response..
Christine Gaspar
Christine Gaspar <> wrote:
Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 10:50:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Christine Gaspar 
Subject: Re: SARS in Australia
To: veronica sullivan 

Hi there.
What can I say besides WOW.

The impression I get from reading your letter is that the only reason Toronto 
hospitals are reporting at all, is because the world is looking at us through a 
microscope. Let me tell you something...when I go to work, I have to consider 
EVERY surface I touch, and every time I touch my face, as it has been proven 
that SARS survives on surfaces for more than 24 hours. In fact, I was told 
directly from our Infectious Diseases doctor that this is not an airbourne 
virus, as , if it was, thousands more would be infected. In fact it is spread by
droplets, and contact. (coughing, sneezing, touching surfaces etc). I know for 
a fact that our hospitals are doing their best not to report cases, if they can 
get away from it. I also am mighty pissed off that they told our staff last 
Friday (the 16th) that it was ok to remove our masks. This is what caused this 
outbreak. I for one , along with many of my colleagues in the emergency refused 
to take the masks off, because we can see for ourselves what type of patients 
are coming in to the hospital...we assess them first. We also already know that 
they are a pack of liars. Thank God I didn't take my mask off, as of the 33 
suspected cases of SARS in this new outbreak, AT LEAST 10 are nurses from our 
ortho floor (where this outbreak is centred) and at least one physician who is 
quite ill.

Also, don't forget the two cases I have been talking about since the 
beginning...the 34 year old PSW and the 31 year old physician who have been on 
ventilators since the beginning, with bilateral chest tubes. They are both still
in that situation, and last week they made the MD a "DNR", which means "Do Not 
Resuscitate". 

Can I post your message on cryonet, as well as on the Cryonics Society of 
Canada?
Take care of yourself!
Christine Gaspar

veronica sullivan <> wrote:
Hi Christine,
 
Thank you so much for your updates on cryonet.
 

I recently left my job in respiratory,working with ventilated pts post ICU 
etc,as I have grave concerns about Sars in this country. ( Took 6 mths leave 
without pay and went back to psychiatry).
 

Suspected cases are not being reported to the WHO as they are in USA. 23 
suspected cases that I am aware of up until 2 weeks ago, through my hospital 
alone.
 

So there I was working in acute respiratory ( loads of atypical pneumonia cases)
without even a mask provided . The ward adjacent to me have the negative 
pressure rooms and they are provided with the masks, however the medical staff 
are being unbelievably complacent-----
 

On my last night they sent up a pt 41 yr old male, with explosive diarrhoea, 
atypical pneumonia, vomiting, headache, myalgia, T 39.7 centigrade, confusion 
etc etc etc.
 

The medical staff DID NOT BOTHER to do blood cultures on this man as according 
to their criteria for SARS he had not been in contact with any one from overseas
or travelled overseas.
 

The nursing staff insisted that if he was not suffering from SARS then he did 
have something infectious, on further blood profiles, it turned out he had 
legionaires.
 

Regardless we are very naive to think we will escape the SARS virus in this 
country, loads of people coming in every day from China, Malaysia, Singapore, 
Taiwan etc and rumours are rife here about Malaysia not being honest reporting 
their SARS cases.
 

Then of course there is the dilemma of too few ventilators and trained staff, 
ICU beds etc if an outbreak does occur. I would have no qualms in looking after 
SARS pts - provided the equipment and infection control paraphranalia is there.
 

An interesting response from some of my colleagues( a small minority 
thankfully), one is praying to jesus-he claims he is safe from any virus.

Another one is taking garlic and a South African nurse states she has no 
concerns as she has previously looked after HIV pts. What more can I say!
 
Except stay safe and well,
 
 best wishes,
 
Veronica

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