West Lake ends quarantine
Wednesday April 23, 2003 Natalie Miller
PICTON Staff should be wearing considerably less clothing at West Lake Terrace today.

Midnight marked the end of a second period of 10-day quarantine for employees and residents of the Picton long-term care home. Administrator Mary Lynn Lester says the home was instructed by the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit to continue wearing masks, gowns and gloves for a second incubation period, despite a preliminary report ruling out a SARS link to the home.

“She has decided to err on the side of caution,” says Mary Lynn about the actions of local medical officer of health Dr. Lynn Noseworthy.

The health unit directed employees to continue wearing the protective clothing and residents to wear masks. The public health organization halted transfers and admissions and only permitted visitors for compassionate reasons.

“The age and vulnerability of residents make it particularly important that they be protected from SARS,” stated a news release from the health unit.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has killed 13 people in Ontario. There are 259 cases in the province. Hospitals and long-term care homes are restricting visitors and patients and employing screening techniques.

On April 2, a resident died at West Lake Terrace. Two weeks before her death, she was a patient at Scarborough Grace Hospital, one of the infected hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area. She came down with a slight fever before her death. One of the symptoms of SARS is a fever and because the woman had been at the hospital, precautions were taken.

Employees have been donning protective gear since her death. On April 8, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care released an initial report.

"Preliminary indications are that this patient did not die of SARS, however, the investigation is continuing so that we can confirm this information," said Dr. James Young, Ontario's Commissioner of Public Security, in a news release.

Since then, other residents have come down with slight temperatures. Staff and public health officials are taking extra precautions.

Mary Lynn says while a slight fever is not an unusual ailment in long-term care, there’s a heightened awareness with SARS gripping the province. “People are getting what they usually get,” she says. But because there’s no test for SARS, “doctors can’t be assured.”

Symptoms of SARS also include severe headache, muscle aches and shortness of breath or other respiratory problems.

FACT SHEETS FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE:

SARS - Questions and Answers

What you should know about SARS

The importance of hand washing

For more information or supplies

RELATED ARTICLES:
Staff still wearing protective gear
April 21, 2003 Natalie Miller
PICTON Employees at West Lake Terrace are still wearing masks, gloves and gowns despite a preliminary report ruling out SARS at the long-term care home two weeks ago. Full Story

Preliminary report rules out SARS at West Lake
April 10, 2003 Natalie Miller
PICTON Staff is breathing a collective sigh of relief now that the second SARS scare at an OMNI home is over. Full Story

West Lake staff members in quarantine
April 9, 2003 Natalie Miller
PICTON Staff at OMNI’s West Lake Terrace has been quarantined after a resident died following possible exposure to SARS. Full Story

OMNI restricts visitors, staff in fight against SARS
April 2, 2003 Natalie Miller
PETERBOROUGH OMNI is turning away visitors and sending home nurses who work in hospitals as precautions to fight the spread of SARS, a severe respiratory virus that has killed six people in Ontario. Full Story

OMNI moves to keep SARS out of homes
April 3, 2003 Natalie Miller
PETERBOROUGH Despite the fact there are no reported cases of SARS in Ontario long-term care homes, OMNI is taking aggressive actions to keep residents and staff safe. Full Story