[Mother Abigail]

From Listserve For Emergency Medical Practioners: [EMED-L]

http://www.ucsf.edu/its/listserv/emed-l/11411.html

Update from Dr. Buckley in HK.

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: SARS

Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 06:07:15 +0800 From: Tom Buckley To:

-snip of recipient's address- We are using routine community acquired antibiotics but all our cases who have had contact with ward have not responded. We are now only admitting cases to our hospital who have had contact with our original case. We are now seeing the second wave - relatives of primary contacts.

So far no staff have been infected once isolation procedures were put in place. No one is wearing ordinary surgical masks. There have been some close calls with some nurses being reported as having atypical pneumonia after precautions have been taken but in all cases our contact tracing team has established that there was an earlier contact. Everyone has been wearing N95 masks and while I think (though don't know for sure) that N95 is satisfactory staff have not been wearing them properly or they do not fit.

We are switching to the N100 masks not because they are ~ 5% more efficient but because the nurses have found them more comfortable to breath through (less resistance) and they fit more comfortably on the face. The N95 masks, despite a variety of brands and sizes have been uncomfortable and difficult to breath through. There is also the psychological aspect as well.

We are going to try BIPAP. I do not expect it to work (hypoxic respiratory failure only) but because of the higher flow rates (along the lines of the nebulized ventolin in the Index Case) and potential for environmental spread I want it to be as safe as possible. So besides all our "usual" precautions we are going to do this in one of our isolation rooms - increased ventilation flow rates and personal HEPA units. If the staff can tolerate them we will distribute to all staff. Many problems with these but I cannot afford to lose one nurse. Mind you haven't made a final decision about the BiPAP. Last night senior nurse rang me to say she was resigning. She is petrified. HK Government is down playing the whole thing presumably because of the economic implications but own hospital has been taken over completely by this infection. We currently have 24 cases of atypical pneumonia in ICU - now is that impressive or what.

It also appears to be out in the community. GPs are being admitted.

All of our patients in ICU are either on 100% O2 or they are ventilated (some prone).

Pulse steroids have been given by the physicians to patients on the general ward. They initially improve but are now septic and being referred to ICU. They claim some patients are better on the ward but I think these patients would have improved anyway. While I was able to dissuade them from using pulse steroids in ICU patients I had no control over the general wards.

[EggsAckley]

Nowhere in the text does it support the title: "22 in US.""

[Mother Abigail]

WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Friday they increased the number of suspected cases of the mysterious severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak they are investigating to 22.

Officials said the agency also is investigating two cases in which Americans who contracted the pneumonia-like illness while traveling abroad might have transmitted it to others when they returned to the United States, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said during a teleconference.

[Mamzelle]

bump

[Centurion2000]

Bump for captain tripps

[Mother Abigail]

Done

[tallhappy]

Chinese doctors today reported two deaths in Beijing and 20 people stricken in Shanghai by a disease with symptoms similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome.

These articles are surreal. This disease was first reported in China last fall.

It was called atypical pneumonia at the time.

Here is a thread from Februrary about it, Fear spreads in China over mystery lung virus .

Fears about it in China were so great that entire stocks of vinegar were sold out, as people there would simmer it to keep the air acidic in their houses.

Chinese officials would say only 5 people died, and about 300 had been infected. But they did not provide any info and services to WHO or other health organizations.

People in China thought many more had died. I saw a report saying 280 people had died.

There's something rotten in Denmark.

This disease is serious, but does not merit panic.

But the irresponsibility of the communist Chinese government in trying to cover up problems has now harmed a lot more than just China.

[united1000]

Would you also add my name to your list, thank you.

[Mother Abigail]

Hong Kong SARS cases rose by 19 to 222 on Saturday

SARS claims another victim but progress reported in identifying virus

Sat Mar 22, 7:53 AM ET

HONG KONG (AFP) - A seventh person suffering from a mysterious respiratory disease has died in Hong Kong, taking the global death toll to 11, as health officials reported making progress in identifying the deadly virus.

 Hong Kong health officials said Saturday that the latest death involved a man in his 70s who contracted Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). He had also been suffering from a blood disease.

The number of patients in the territory diagnosed with SARS rose by 19 to 222 on Saturday, Hospital Authority spokesman Ko Wing-man said.

[Mother Abigail]

Argentina Checks Woman for Deadly Pneumonia

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters)

- A 36-year-old Argentine woman was rushed to hospital off a flight from Rome on Friday after showing symptoms of what could be a mysterious deadly pneumonia spreading fear across the world, officials said

[Mother Abigail]

Meanwhile, Chinese Health Minister Zhang Wenkang said Saturday there was no proof that severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, spread from the mainland to Hong Kong, despite widespread suspicions of a link.

[angry beaver norbert]

Does anyone suspect a commie bio-test??

[stlnative]

Please add me to your ping list on the SARS...

I have a mother here in the USA, that has had to work around many Chinese as they are moving the company over to China (yes there goes more american jobs and my Mother will be without a job)

Anyhow her american boss is in China right now he was sent over just days before the SARS story broke and is due to return soon and the company keeps sending Chinese people over here to learn the work processes before they take all of it over to China. So I worry about her being possibly exposed, I know the chances are probably slim... but just in case I want to stay up to date with it.

[Marie]

May I be added to your *ping* list, too?