Canadian health officials fear that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) might spread into the wider community, although those working in hospitals treating victims are at highest risk.
Speaking to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on 21 April, Dr Jay Keystone of the University of Toronto's Centre of Travel and Tropical Medicine, said: “If we start to see increasing numbers [of cases not linked to hospitals, travel, and direct exposure to a SARS case], then I think we're going to have a very great difficulty in controlling this outbreak.”
But he maintained that “while it's a danger … I don't think we're there yet.”
On the same day, the federal health department said that it had received reports of 316 probable or suspected cases of SARS and 14 deaths in Canada. Ontario province reported 135 probable and 124 suspect cases. All 14 Canadian deaths probably or suspected to be linked to SARS were in Ontario. In addition, a 46 year old woman who died in the Philippines may have contracted the disease in Toronto, the Canadian city worst hit by SARS.
Other provinces reporting cases were British Columbia (four probable and 41 suspected cases); New Brunswick (two suspected); Saskatchewan (one suspected); Alberta (five suspected); and Prince Edward Island (four suspected).
Dr Keystone said the biggest danger of transmission was at hospitals where infected people have been treated.
Last weekend, Sunnybrook Hospital, one of Toronto's two major trauma centres, closed its SARS and critical care units when four staff members showed symptoms of the disease.
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NORM BETTS/REX
Gowned and masked media workers are given a tour of Toronto's SARS clinic, which patients attend without having to visit their doctor