SARS - BEPAST Email Update

March 26 2003

Subject: SARS Education-Alert Again now in the National Capitol Region

DC Hospital Association ID/Infection Control committee members & other colleagues:

Please consider FORWARDING this e-mail via your organizational e-mails (eg. DC DOH, MSDC, DCHA, NVERC, others). 

 

Yes, as requested I can be at DCHA April 1st at noon for the ID/IC committee, or connect by phone, in part to rediscuss Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS).

 

 

I think it is crucial that the DC Hospital Association and related DC-VA-MD medical AND first responders be RENOTIFIED today about Severe Acute Respiratory Disease ("SARS") in order to PREVENT TRANSMISSION of SARS to Health Care Workers and other first responders in our region, as has already happened in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Toronto, and very likely other places in the world. 

 

Today's Washington Post (page A.10 by Rob Stein and DeNeen Brown) states:

 

"In Toronto, officials have ordered 25 health care workers who may be "symptomatic" to stay home under quarantine for 10 days until they are possibly no longer infectious. Their families were also ordered to remain under quarantine."... Regarding these 25 people: "Most of the 25 are health care workers, including nurses, doctors, paramedics, a firefighter and technicians who had contact with patients before officials knew they were dealing with an unknown illness."

 

Similar events have occurred earlier in Singapore and Hong Kong as described on the websites of the health departments of Singapore (www.moh.gov.sg)  and Hong Kong (www.info.gov.hk/dh/ap.htm), an excellent source of early, direct daily updated information.

 

·         Hong Kong: www.info.gov.hk/dh/ap.htm

·         Singapore: www.moh.gov.sg

·         Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/protection/warnings/2003/2003_11.htm

·         World Health Organization: www.who.int

·         CDC: www.CDC.gov

·         Pro-MED –mail (http://www.promedmail.org/pls/askus/f?p=2400:1000) is another useful source of daily updated information.

 

Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH

Co-Chair, DC Hospital Association ID/IC committee

Director, Center for Biologic Counterterrorism & Emerging Diseases

Washington Hospital Center

cell: 614-226-2643