Teens rebel against quarantine (SARS)

Globe & Mail ^ | Thursday, May 29, 2003 | CAROLINE ALPHONSO

[Grig]

Public health officials struggled to keep about 1,500 teenagers in quarantine yesterday, a task that proved insurmountable when some left their confinement to have fun.

On the first day of quarantine for students of Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy, just north of Toronto, one was already out shopping, while another invited friends to a concert where he was going to be playing last night.

Murray McQuigge, a spokesman for York Region's public health department, knows all too well that grounding an entire school without any supervision is far from easy.

"I'm sure that after this the parents of those kids will get together and write a book called How I Kept my Teenage Child Home for 10 Days, Dr. McQuigge said. "It will be quite a trick, but it will be absolutely necessary if we're going to contain this."

The school closed its doors yesterday because a Grade 11 student attended the school for three days last week with symptoms of SARS.

The 17-year-old boy's mother is a nurse on the orthopedic ward of North York General Hospital, the site of the latest outbreak. Both she and her son were admitted to North York on Friday after showing symptoms of the virus.

Officials said both are classified as suspected SARS cases and are in stable condition.

The boy's father has been calling them every day to check on their condition. He said his son still has a bit of a cough and a fever but is doing better. His wife, however, is having difficulty breathing. The man, who didn't want to be identified, is in quarantine right now, saying he has an "on-and-off cough."

"I'm just worried about what's going to happen to them. This kind of sickness is terrible," he said. "I always think about my family. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know."

In the meantime, students and staff at the school located in Markham are in quarantine till Tuesday. If another person shows symptoms, this quarantine period could be extended, health officials said.

Reached at their homes yesterday, many students were sleeping in, playing video games or surfing the Internet. A few were even catching up on homework.

But news quickly spread that some had broken quarantine. One girl, for example, took a shopping trip to the city.

"You can't expect people to be isolated for 10 days. We have quite the social life," said 15-year-old Rachel Gunasingham, whose friend went shopping. "It's very difficult. It's summer now, and we're off school early."

Rachel has resisted the temptation to wander outdoors herself. Her day was spent playing guitar, sleeping in, taking a quick trip to the back yard, and, of course, convincing her friend to return home.

"I'm not sure my parents will let me go outside. It's kind of selfish for me to do that," she acknowledged. Masks that health officials had promised had not been delivered to many students by yesterday afternoon. That means family members were unprotected in contact with the students.

Dr. McQuigge said that quarantine entails not leaving the home, spending as little time as possible in the room with others -- "teenaged kids will love that part" -- and wearing a mask around other family members.

While the students who were contacted yesterday said they are already bored at home, Tushar Basu, a Grade 9 student, said he wasn't about to start doing any chores either. "I don't even do that when I'm well," he said.

He walked around his house yesterday, trying to figure out what he could do next after exhausting his time on the Internet and watching television. "I'm trying to get caught up on the homework that I haven't done in class."

While teenagers may think of this quarantine as a few days to have some fun, Dr. McQuigge said they must stay indoors, preferably confined to their bedrooms, and watch for symptoms.

[Grig]

SARS is NOT contained any longer.

[goodnesswins]

"He walked around his house yesterday, trying to figure out what he could do next after exhausting his time on the Internet and watching television. "I'm trying to get caught up on the homework that I haven't done in class."

My kid would not be "BORED." He'd be REALLY busy! Homework would be first, the cable/internet connection would be CUT, and my garden would be weeded....for starts.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for making this a separate post...the more who see it, the better.

[goodnesswins]

I just saw THIS.....STOOPID PARENTS is all I can say.....

"While the students who were contacted yesterday said they are already bored at home, Tushar Basu, a Grade 9 student, said he wasn't about to start doing any chores either. "I don't even do that when I'm well," he said."

[Grig]

Yup, my kids from my 9 year old up do their own laundry and rotate through a set of household chores weekly. My oldest (13) also delivers flyers 3 times a week. Then there are piano lessons (and practicing) scouts, etc.

There are so many poor parents these days, the fruits of liberalism.

[StriperSniper]

Throw them all together in a big warehouse or hanger someplace with a bunch of kegs and condoms and the whining will change to moaning. ;-)

[stars & stripes forever]

But news quickly spread that some had broken quarantine. One girl, for example, took a shopping trip to the city. "You can't expect people to be isolated for 10 days. We have quite the social life," said 15-year-old Rachel Gunasingham, whose friend went shopping. "It's very difficult. It's summer now, and we're off school early."

Why should people obey a SARS quarantine when politically correct transmitted diseases like AIDS have never been quarantined?

[jerseygirl]

Bump..! "Dr. McQuigge said they must stay indoors, preferably confined to their bedrooms, and watch for symptoms." Unfortunately many young people believe they are invincible...

[Timesink]

This lax enforcement will stop the moment the US border is closed to all Canadians ... which WILL happen if any of these little brats actually do come down with SARS.

Canada's government just doesn't get it.

[OXENinFLA]

Maybe these kids need to be informed on how CHINA is going to KILL those who infect people.

[Grig]

"Throw them all together in a big warehouse or hanger someplace with a bunch of kegs and condoms and the whining will change to moaning. ;-)"

And an outbreak of a whole other kind.

[CathyRyan]

If this happened when I was a teen I would whine until my parents said yes to..... a phone, iternet access, 20 books ordered from Amazon with next day delivery and just leave the junk food outside my door. And in exchange they would not see, or hear from me or have to give a second thought to my breaking quarantine for two weeks (just to be on the safe side). LOL

[AD from SpringBay]

Why should people obey a SARS quarantine when politically correct transmitted diseases like AIDS have never been quarantined?

As much as I appreciate the point I think you're making we need to admit there are different transmission methods between SARS and AIDS. I'm no expert but I'm guessing it's much easier to get SARS. It takes a little more to acquire AIDS.

[LurkedLongEnough]

You can't expect people to be isolated for 10 days.

(Unless they have access to Free Republic!)

[Chemist_Geek]

I'm no expert but I'm guessing it's much easier to get SARS. It takes a little more to acquire AIDS.

Correct. I'm not going to dispute the kid-glove handling of the AIDS phenomenon, but, the diseases are vastly different.

[I'm ALL Right!]

What a bunch of ignorant, selfish teenagers.

[Grig]

LOL!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

SARS is NOT contained any longer.

You are correct. The rule that whoever breaks quarantine will be executed needs to be put in place.

[Mears]

I come from a generation where we were quarantined and we did it because those were the rules.Period!

When anyone contracted any of the childhood diseases the names and addresses were made public and,in the case of scarlet fever,the whole household was quarantined.When my brother contracted scarlet fever we were all quarantined,no school,no work,and we survived.There was even a sign put on the front door.

These kids are spoiled.self centered brats and need a "boot in the fanny" from the adults in their lives.

[radiohead]

your comment brought back memories. my sister and i got scarlet fever and the family was quarantined. i remember people dropping of boxes of food at the front door, ringing the bell, and running back to their cars.

do people even get scarlet fever anymore?

[Cicero]

The parents as well as the children should be held responsible. Unfortunately it's too late to undo the damage, the the entire families of teenagers who broke the curfew should be locked up in isolation camps.

Speaking personally, I'd rather be locked up in a concentration camp for a few weeks than live with the knowledge that I had deliberately unloosed a deadly plague on the world because I was too bored to stay home.

What are their parents thinking?

[Grig]

"What are their parents thinking?"

Haven't you heard? Thinking is bad, it leads to making judgements.

[dc-zoo]

Political correctness, personal rights, and lack of dicipline are going to make quarantine and control of sars even more of a challenge for Canada and USA regardless of the age group. Canada's socialized health system creates even more difficulties.

[Snowyman]

In the early fifties my Dad was told he had TB (it was contracted while the army and misread on his discharge x-ray in '45 ).
Doctor told him he was going in a sanatorium in London Ont. till it was cleared up, My Mother too. Dad said he needed 2 weeks to arrange his affairs , Doctor replied , You got 48 hours.

My parents came home almost 2 years later. Us kids weren't allowed to visit or see them , except at a distance ,in all that time. That was the law.

When you're four years old somehow you know enough to accept that life's not fair and that's the way it is.

These kids are spoiled rotten, which is not their fault , but they need a severe tuning in. That's life.

[jacquej]

My thought on what might work is that if any teen is caught breaking quarantine, the entire family will be immediately quarantined, with a notice put on the door of the home, and the car keys taken by the authorities.

Any further violation would entail the detention of the family in appropriate facilties.

How's that? Judith Anne, do you think it would work?

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Yeah. But back when quarantines were common, it was like you describe it: the family was quarantined. But here you have something a wee bit different -- because a kid is suspected of having SARS, they want to quarantine the whole school for 10 days. Of course, if any of those kids have it, they may give it mom and dad...who then go to work and give it to their coworkers...who pass it on.

The real problem is that SARS is (a) not contained and (b) they don't really have a quick test to tell if someone just has a cold or SARS.

[dark_lord]

Sorry folks...something is messed up with the site to cause those multiple postings. It just seemed to hang for a while and then gave the "No data" popup. Imagine my suprise to see the multiples. Very strange.

[Neologic]

do people even get scarlet fever anymore?

Yes they do, I just had a friend who came down with it. The meds she was given seemed to handle it and she was out and about functioning normally. Although I have never known anyone else with it.

[Grig]

That kid moved from being a suspected case to a probable case.

That kid moved from being a suspected case to a probable case.

That kid moved from being a suspected case to a probable case.

That kid moved from being a suspected case to a probable case.

:-)

[eBelasco]

Admitedly these kids need a kick in the ass from their parents, and the parents do too.

Just for fun though, imagine how many of us would voluntarily quarantine ourselves if the federal gov't told us to.

[Grig]

"Just for fun though, imagine how many of us would voluntarily quarantine ourselves if the federal gov't told us to."

I'm an introvert, I would enjoy the excuse to get away.

[Judith Anne]

I'd quarantine. I'd welcome it. ;-D

[Trace21230]

WHAT? This isn't about Scott and Laci Peterson?

How dare someone post a thread that doesn't touch upon this crucial area?

Trace

[Judith Anne]

Don't mind us, we're just off here in our little corner, getting so informed about SARS that we almost all feel able to give advice to public health officials all over the hemisphere...;-D

[Judith Anne]

I don't know if that would work or not.

[The Working Man]

Me too! I would love the break. Catch up on house work and my reading.

And of course, surfing FR!

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

PUT EM IN PRISON CAMPS!

[jimkress]

Bump!

[AIC]

I really can't believe that an educated person doesn't know the answer to that.

[TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa]

I've got a five year old with a newly broken arm. (First day out of school) Just ordered Hooked On Phonics and lots of books. Ten days is nothin.

[stars & stripes forever]

I really can't believe that an educated person doesn't know the answer to that.

I can't believe that educated people don't know JUST SAY NO.