jacquej, I think you are asking some really good questions. The answers may determine the outcome of any outbreaks in the US...
Thanks. We need to be careful to ask ourselves the right questions, and not make quick assumptions...
Just found this... and what botheres me about it is the loosey-goosey way a case is categorized. Makes it hard to ask the right questions, in my opinion.
"Officially, there are 12 probable cases of SARS in the Toronto area. Dr. Donald Low says the real number is closer to 30.
He says SARS continues to be a major health crisis in the city.
"There's a lot more patients out there that have SARS than we're letting the rest of the world believe," he said.
Low says Health Canada's new definitions make it nearly impossible to declare a probable case of SARS.
"Right now we're playing this game of trying to classify patients as either 'under investigation,' 'suspect' or 'probable.' It becomes semantics," said Low, chief microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
Under Health Canada's new definitions, a suspect case requires a fever, respiratory problems, close contact with a suspect or probable case and no other known cause of illness.
To be a probable case, a person also needs to be suffering from a serious respiratory illness.
He says that includes the original cluster of seven cases at North York General plus more than two dozen health-care workers who have gone to the hospital's emergency room with symptoms.
"They might not meet a definition, but to me, you have to assume they have disease," said Low.
Low says health officials in Ontario fear the consequences of telling the World Health Organization about all the cases under investigation. "
here's the link...
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/05/28/sars_underreport030528