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A huge benefit to the country is that there are a core of informed posters and readers who will have the latest accurate facts on SARS if needed. We all know where the hotspots currently are...In some cases, the breadth of knowledge shown in FR comments is more than impressive.

Where the health care system failed in one aspect was managing risk. They were operating and proceeding from several false assumptions, and now this has come back to bite them.

I'm amazed. I'm a livestock producer and it seems like in many ways, the way we handle our livestock in regards to disease some Scrapie (a TSE), Johne's (Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP), etc., on a day to day basis - evaluation, treatment/control, etc is also about managing risk. With more studies on determining any link between the etiologic agent (MAP) responsible for Johne's in ruminants a significant cause of disease in humans, we manage that risk using a variety of methods, and I am only a producer. I am dissapointed that in the case of SARS, there appears to be inadequate oversight and risk management in the Toronto health care system and all systems that interface with the aforementioned.

The American Library Association (ALA) has a conference in Toronto next month. The Library staff where I am assigned to has discussed whether they will go. But what is good is that they will keep the college informed on their decision, etc.

Listen, I am thinking here, which is always risky for me! (I can think my way into ridiculousness, ya know) So, take it all as just an effort to keep the aging brain cells forming new connections...

Toronto has done a good job with this, compared to Cascadia (The Vancouver/Wasington State Metro Areas, sorta), as the quarantining in Toronto has been agressive. Now, we suspect it isn't long enough, but I do not think it is fair to single out Canada for criticism for the following reason.

We have no idea what is happening here in the States. The ridiculous statement by the Health Dept. official yesterday from Wheeling, West Virginia is an indication of that, supporting my suspicion that US is using the same crazy obfuscating "definition" weaseling as other parts of the world.

For example, defining as "probable" only after a case has recovered. Death, of course is due to some other cause, understand? According to that WVHO, the "probable" case in critical care there probably didn't have SARS, although he fit all the criteria as we know it.

It is my fear that the US is in for a much tougher time with SARS than Canada for the follwing reason. Canada will automatically pay unemployment benefits for anyone quarantined with SARS, from what I have read elsewhere, (but I need you Canadians to confirm that.)

That won't happen here in the US, making quarantine compliance much more difficult. We have far too many people living from paycheck to paycheck who will resist sensible quarantine, if we ever figure out what that is!!!!

We have a non-compliant population in the states. We are a nation of "doing it my way" and do not conform to cultural norms as many other societies do... That can work for us in many ways, but in certain situations, can be a real problem. Shutting down schools and quarantining students at home to stop the transmission of SARS would be an example. Too many families here are single parent, or double-working parent families.

Other odd thoughts. The cross border gambling! Anyone know how many people travel across the Niagara Falls border everyday to go to the Casino there? How many Torontonians go there to gamble. The Falls, and the Niagara region, including Niagara-on-the Lake?

Think about it!!! Let's realize that all the cases in Toronto came from one index patient who had traveled in from Asia. All it takes is one.

About the summer break we are all hoping for... I wonder about this. I know that influenza is supposed to die down in the summer months, but what about coronavirus? Will it do the same thing as the influenza virus? Those of you more familiar with the statistics on "summer colds" or how the common cold behaves in the summer time might be helpful here.

Odd thoughts about "fashion" and handwashing? I know from handling raw poultry on a daily basis to feed my dogs a raw diet how important it is to wash my hands after handling such. Before I switched to raw feeding, I enjoyed keeping my nails a bit on the long side, but realized that the undernail area on my fingers was hard to really clean, so now I clip them right off with nail clippers every couple of days.

How many health workers in hospitals/doctors offices are wearing longer nails, false nails etc... you think the US could demand an end to wearing these nails, and require all to clip nails to the quick? How about the demand that this be done for workers in pharmacies, supermarkets, fastfood restaurants, shopping malls, health food chains?

Well, I better let my fingers and brain rest a bit. Don't want to wear anything out, including your eyeballs.