A SARS Story [vanity, but first hand info from Taiwan]

first hand report ^ | 4/27/03 | me

[zook]

Can't access my web server, so this isn't posted on my web site yet. Tomorrow maybe.

[JennysCool]

Thank you for the well-written first-hand report, though it couldn't be much more disturbing. What a situation! The actions by the government seem head-shakingly weird. I pray for the best for Shiang-Yi and for you and Lillian. Now...GET THE HECK OUT OF THERE!

[FReepaholic]

>>... I fear SARS a little bit, but I fear civil panic even more...<<

And bureaucratic knee-jerk reactions.

[joesnuffy]

The ability for govt. to make it's political moves under cover of crisis is a fearfull thing indeed

[DB]

The simple truth is that SARS has a 2 to 10 day incubation period before you come down with any symptoms. If you or her were exposed you wouldn't know for several days. To assume that she was "found free of SARS the day before" is plain foolish. There is no way to know until the maximum incubation period passes on anyone potentially exposed to be called "found free of SARS".

Breaking the quarantine where one could have been exposed "because you know you don't have it" is how this terrible disease is going to spread to the far reaches of the planet.

Bad move.

[harpseal]

The simple fact is that it may be another 10 days before you know if you have SARS. Your successful evasion of the Quarantine police may not be a good move.

[blam]

Good report, thanks. Now, come home.

[Lessismore]

Thank you for your report.

[js1138]

Quarantine is an interesting phenomenon. During the polio outbreaks in the early 1950s, Georgia once quarantined the entire state of Florida for a few days. During this period nearly all public swimming pools were closed.

Public health has been so good during the last few decades that we have forgotten how common this kind of scare used to be.

[cricket]

"My "trip wire" has nearly gone off. I think we'll stay for now, but we'll be watching this situation very closely. If anything like this begins to creep southward, that "trip wire" will send us back home."

. . .have to say, my 'trip wire', would have gone off by the end of the first paragraph. . .

This letter shows the fearful reality of SARS; the disease itself and Government responses to it. . .and also why 'containment' may slow the numbers; but not stop the spread of this disease.

The Chinese Government needs to address the issues/causes of 'why' these viruses are born and then borne, in China and clean up the practices that lend to these health disasters. . .and sooner, not later.

[philomath]

good report. nothing beats on-the-scene info.

i understand your sister-in-law's ptrdicament: she sees her primary duty to her co-workers and patients, with her own health a secondary consideration. in addition to being worried, you should be proud of her for taking the high road.

the government is treating the health-care workers abysmally: socially supported conscription of the educated for high-risk work.

good luck, keep posting, and get your family (sister-in-law included) out when safe...

[jigsaw]

A very interesting report. Thanks!

[philomath]

To assume that she was "found free of SARS the day before" is plain foolish. There is no way to know until the maximum incubation period passes on anyone potentially exposed to be called "found free of SARS".

depends on the test. pcr (polymerase chain reaction)should pick it up before significant symptoms. unfortunately, the test isn't fully available yet.

once you've been exposed to a disease with a high attack and mortality rate (i have) it's difficult to castigate others in the same situation for not following the party line(i don"t).

would you stay in quarantine with known carriers if you had a low risk of being infected. if so, there's a nice hopital in taipei that needs some workers.....

[Lake]

I understand your feeling, but breaking a quarentine line is not right. My wife and kid are in Taipei now, fortunately far from Hoping hospital. But I'm afraid Taipei might be the second Beijing or Hong Kong if things go like this.

[FReepaholic]

>>...The ability for govt. to make it's political moves under cover of crisis is a fearfull thing indeed...<<

Especially if the "crisis" might not really be a crisis:

SARS "scam" thread.

[bvw]

A person makes a mistake to leave his fate in the hands of a Panic. The authorities there are paniced, panic destroys authority. That is why I said "in the hands of a panic", rather than "in the hands of the paniced".

Self-preservation of the unpaniced comes first. It is vital! Better to scoot and play a self-imposed quarentine out in a non-paniced venue.

[philomath]

Better to scoot and play a self-imposed quarentine out in a non-paniced venue

precisely.....

[DB]

And how many others including your family are willing to risk and have on your conscience if they die because you didn't stay away from them when you were warned to do so?

As far as "low risk" if you worked in the same building were an outbreak has occurred. How could one access being "low risk"?

[DB]

But this nurse didn't do a "self-imposed quarantine". She came back and spent time with foreigners that are going to return to their home overseas.

[Lake]

April 4: U.S. President George W. Bush issues an executive order adding SARS to the list of communicable diseases for which a healthy person suspected of being infected can be quarantined against their will.