SARS in Toronto

[Mr Qwirk]

Does anyone have any first hand experience here? I heard a piece on the news tonight, advising people not to visit?

Is this affecting crowd sizes, and more importantly - hat sizes?


[img]confused.gif[/img] - just curious - [img]confused.gif[/img]

[Barry]

hi there qwirk,
no first hand experience here, though i would highly reccomend if you are going there not to take a plane, which is the best way of picking up such beasts. for me i did a couple of sets in geneva (before being stopped by the coppers) where they also have an outbreak. it is a great comedy topic, if you go in for that sorta style. it didnt affect my hats, although the coppers did. PARS (police and regulations syndrome) is a killer.
barry

ps...saw your site and think the description of mr. and ms. is a bit of a giggle

[Lynneski]

I think most folks are going about daily life in a daily fashion. I can't speak to crowd and hat sizes, but I can share a few details.

Yes, there have been 16 deaths to date related to Toronto. Yes, there are estimated to be 300 or so suspected or confirmed cases in the cluster. And yes, the WHO just issued a do-not-travel advisory for Toronto.

However.

All of the cases have been linked to one of the health workers/hospitals that dealt with the original case that had a direct path to the original outbreak in Guangdong province.

New cases have declined in the past 4 days. It's too early to declare the worst of it over until the decline in diagnoses continues for several weeks.

From "The Record", today: "Of the 16 Toronto- residents who have died from the syndrome, only two were under the age of 60. Most were 70 or older; one victim was 99. Like any acute infection, the elderly and those with poor immune systems are most at risk of death."

Some anecdotes:

Bigwig politicos have taken to photo-op luncheons in Chinatown, as a salve for thousands of empty restaurant seats caused by ignoramuses (ignoramii?) who believe this to be a disease of Chinese people.

Asian-Canadians of all backgrounds are increasingly citing tales of suddenly huge personal space if they so much as clear their throat while in line at the grocery or video store.

Watching the Buffalo, NY news last night, I was amused to hear the lead story intro'd as "Should You Cross The Border?!?", as if an imaginary line was some form of defence shield.

Obviously, the WHO advisory is bad for business. Politicians, beaurocrats, and tourism operators are hopping mad. And the medical establishment appears to view it as overkill.

No one can divine your comfort line for you. But the best advice seems to eminate from that fount of Mom wisdom - along with "Wear clean underwear" now goes "Don't kiss people you don't know" and "Wash your hands with soap and water".

[Barry]

ahhh...facts instead of emotions and jokes...well done lynneski...as an additional thought, local politicos might have a favorable attitude towards international artists visiting during such a time as this when "advisors" are advising against travel to toronto...sounds good to me...rock toronto, then!!

[Lynneski]

Another dispatch from today's "The Record":

"There hasn't been a new case found in the community - in other words, outside of health-care workers and the workers' close contacts - in 19 days. That's almost two incubation periods."

Barry, I get you were mostly joshing about not taking an airplane to Toronto, but I just want to correct the erroneousness of your statement. I don't believe there's been a case of an infected person transmitting to another person on an airplane - at least not in this region. People who were infected did fly from Guangdong to Toronto, and from Toronto to two other locations and *then* passed it on to a few people who were in close personal contact with them.

I believe all the transmissions to date have come about as a result of contact with an infected person's sputum or mucous - health-care workers or people who share the same residence.

The huge hullaballoo has been over a few people who were out in the community who may have had SARS, and the quarantines of all the folks they came in contact with. One case was a physician who should have known better, who attended the funeral of an elderly patient and a church service, and caused the quarantine of over 500 people for 10 days. He may face charges, or at least a medical board review.

At any rate, the scary large numbers of people who have been asked, or ordered, into 10-day quarantine is precautionary - to restrict opportunities for transmission while they can still trace all the contacts of a known infected person.

It appears to be working.

Part of the economic impact of the WHO's do-not-travel advisory that will most affect us is likely to be reduced flying schedules into Toronto, and commensurate increased prices. Get your tickets early.

Be aware, if you are arriving from China or environs, you may face masked and gloved personnel in the terminal who are going to want to take your temperature and ask you lots of questions about where you've been and how you're feeling.

If you are adamant about avoiding Toronto, airport alternatives with limited international connections are Hamilton (about 45 minutes west), London (about 2.5 hours drive west), and Ottawa (about 4.5 hour drive north-east). Best bet into these smaller 'ports is to enter Canada at another location, and take a regional low-fare flight to here with Westjet or Tango.

Or you could fly into Buffalo, NY or Detroit, MI and grab a car, train or Greyhound bus to your destination.

Myself, I'll be flying out of Toronto's Pearson in a short while with no worries. And my significantly taller other is in and out of there every week, with no concerns other than the visual pollution of too many panicky people wearing face masks.

[Mr Qwirk]

wow, thanks Lynneski.
you really know what youre talking about here!!

As for me, Ill still be coming to Toronto - looking at all the facts, its seems to me that the only people "really" at risk are the elderly and the sick. Considering im still in the "prime" (one would hope) of my life, I dont feel threatened by SARS at ""all""
[img]frown.gif[/img]
Life goes on, and I still need to make a living!!

See you all in Toronto in June! [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]rolleyes.gif[/img] <img src="graemlins/jester.gif" border="0" alt="[jester]" />