Quarantine during a completely non-contagious period is obviously not needed. The standard protocol is to quarantine everyone who has come in contact with a suspected case. Since this would be unnecessary if the person were guaranteed not to be contagious, it follows that the "authorities" have concluded there is at least some chance of contagion during this period. I also suspect the quantity of virus shed is so low that the odds of infection during this time are low.
I suspect the "authorities" believe the public is incapable of making these kinds of distinctions, so the party line is simply that people during these times are not contagious.
Interestingly, the United States does NOT seem to be following the "quarantine everybody" approach that the rest of the world is following. I trust our CDC and our medical system far more than the WHO. Are we making a mistake? There is LOTS of food for thought here.
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Posted by CathyRyan to per loin
On News/Activism 04/07/2003 5:23 PM EDT #10 of 11
Disease expert stricken by SARS
The director of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital is recuperating in that hospital from SARS.
Dr. Allison McGeer, one of Canada's leading infectious disease specialists, contracted the disease from a staff member at the hospital. The health-care worker was not showing symptoms of SARS at the time, but went on to develop the disease.
McGeer, has been in the hospital, in isolation, for the last week, the hospital said Monday.
It was exposure to McGeer that sent the hospital's senior infectious disease expert, Dr. Donald Low, into quarantine in his home early last week.
Low has shown no signs of developing SARS. His period of quarantine was to expire Tuesday morning.
http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=69DDE87E-D7AE-4680-A592-AE2CE1AB3A3C
If this is true...this is not good.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/887259/posts
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SARS patients are free of the virus once the symptoms leave. "SARS is most infectious in the incubation period. Once the symptoms disappear, the virus also goes. This virus is not like HIV, which remains in the body forever," Seth said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=43811556
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Posted by aristeides to 11th_VA; CathyRyan; Mother Abigail; Dog Gone; Petronski; per loin; riri; flutters; Judith Anne; ...
On News/Activism 05/08/2003 11:03 AM EDT #47 of 50
Dr Heymann and other health officials told the House hearing there was no evidence people transmit the virus before they develop the cough, fever and pneumonia that characterize SARS.
Curious way to express oneself. I wonder why they didn't say that the evidence suggests that there is no such transmission before the symptoms develop.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/907555/posts