This is interesting about the length of time it takes to incubate with SARS, from an article in Toronto's Globe and Mail, but, I wonder how the reporter can be sure the kids weren't contagious to others... the rest of the article is good reading too...
A 14-year-old girl developed SARS a week after her parent was hospitalized, and a 17-year-old came down with symptoms 12 days after her parent was hospitalized. Neither got very sick.
While the long incubation period is worrisome, the researchers found the lack of spread among family members reassuring.
"We can only hypothesize that not all patients with SARS are as infectious as has been reported previously. This fact gives us some hope that this disease will not spread in a totally uncontrolled manner in the community," Dr. Avendano said."
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030529.uquar0529/BNStory/Front/More from the Globe and Mail about the kids breaking the quarantine, as some of us who have raised kids knew they would...
Teens rebel against quarantine
Students straying after 1,500 ordered to remain at home
By CAROLINE ALPHONSO
EDUCATION REPORTER
Thursday, May 29, 2003 - Page A13
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.
(snip)
The school closed its doors yesterday because a Grade 11 student attended the school for three days last week with symptoms of SARS.
(snip)
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."
The enitre article is interesting reading. Apparently the hospitalized boy's father is now feeling "unwell"...
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030529/USCHOM/National/IdxThe people who get the sickest seem to be the most infective. Young people tend to do well with SARS, and so are likely to be less infective.