X-Message-Number: 21922
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2003 08:26:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Christine Gaspar <>
Subject: Re: SARS photos

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Just FYI, the blue Stryker suits are used for intubations and other high risk 
activities. Each suit is about CAN$2000.00. They have positive pressure 
ventilation in that they each have a fan in the helmet, and an air filter. It is
powered by a battery pack. The circulating air creates a positive pressure in 
the suit, making it harder for pathogens to get in. It's also much more 
comfortable with air circulating inside.

The plastic sheets you see dividing rooms are actually more elaborate than they 
appear in  the pics. Imagine 10 cubicles which used to comprise our acute care 
area..with cardiac monitors. Now there is a plastic sheet  (three layers thick) 
dividing that area from the rest of the department, from the ceiling to the 
floor. Between this sheet and each cubicle, it is called the "anteroom". To 
enter each cubicle, one must pass through three more layers of plastic sheeting.
In each cubicle there is a huge hepafilter, as a proper isolation room would 
have negative pressure (i.e the air from the room is sucked out, not mixing with
the air in the rest of the dept). Our department only has 2 proper isolation 
rooms, but the construction of the rest which I am explaining was done under the
supervision of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour, as nurses 
complained about working in dangerous conditions. The SARS unit which is under 
construction in these photos is in our ambulance bay. They converted the 
ambulance bay, and erected a tent behind it to accomodate members of the general
public wishing to be evaluated for sars. The general public do not enter our 
emergency dept...it is reserved for our own staff who are sick, with sars, or 
anything else...as many of our staff have found difficulties getting medical 
care due to the discriminatory nature of this problem...on Friday I was denied 
entrance into a clinic, simply because I work at North York General Hospital. I 
told them I had already completed my 10 day quarantine period, showed no 
symptoms of illness (sars related), and was wearing an N95 mask. She still 
wouldn't let me in, and told me I would only be able to come back once the sars 
problem went away. (this was a pain clinic in relation to problems I have with 
my lower back).
I will take more pictures soon of the completed SARS clinic.
Later,
Christine Gaspar

Christine Gaspar <> wrote:


Hi everyone. I have posted my newest photos related to the SARS outbreak at 
North York General Hospital. When you visit my site, you will see 4 photo 
albums. The latest photos are labelled as such. Let me know what you think, and 
if your viewing was successful.
Christine Gaspar
http://community.webshots.com/user/christinegaspar1



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