Officials clear 2 nurses, declare Ottawa SARS-free
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
In declaring Ottawa SARS-free yesterday, city health officials said they are confident a sick Toronto woman did not bring the virus here.
"We have no probable cases, no suspected cases, no persons under investigation," said Dr. Robert Cushman, the city's medical officer of health, at a news conference yesterday. "The links have been broken."
Two nurses originally thought to have come into contact with the woman were officially released from home isolation yesterday. So was a patient believed to have come into contact with one of the nurses.
With the help of public health officials in Toronto, city and hospital staff worked through the weekend to trace the steps of the feverish woman from Toronto who visited the emergency room at the Ottawa Hospital's General campus on May 14.
Two nurses working in the ER that night later showed symptoms and were placed in home quarantine. Hospital staff contacted 250 people on the weekend believed to have come into contact with the nurses.
Dr. Cushman said it turned out after investigation that neither nurse had contact with the original patient, who at this point is back home in Toronto and not in hospital.
One nurse has a respiratory tract infection and is resting at her home in Ottawa.
The other nurse was placed in home isolation last week and is now with his family in Cornwall, having recovered from a "classic cold."
Neither nurse became ill until May 24, 11 days after the suspected exposure and after the acute respiratory syndrome's incubation period.
"Once there's no link, we go back to business as usual," said Dr. Gary Garber, head of the hospital's infectious diseases division.
The original patient attended her grandfather's funeral in Toronto with sick family members. She came to Ottawa where she visited the hospital. Her grandfather -- suspected of being a part of Toronto's "phase two" cluster -- underwent surgery and developed pneumonia before he died, Dr. Garber said. Emergency room workers will remain on alert indefinitely and continue to wear masks and gloves. Dr. Chris Carruthers, the hospitals' chief of staff, said visitor restrictions will remain for the time.
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
In declaring Ottawa SARS-free yesterday, city health officials said they are confident a sick Toronto woman did not bring the virus here.
"We have no probable cases, no suspected cases, no persons under investigation," said Dr. Robert Cushman, the city's medical officer of health, at a news conference yesterday. "The links have been broken."
Two nurses originally thought to have come into contact with the woman were officially released from home isolation yesterday. So was a patient believed to have come into contact with one of the nurses.
With the help of public health officials in Toronto, city and hospital staff worked through the weekend to trace the steps of the feverish woman from Toronto who visited the emergency room at the Ottawa Hospital's General campus on May 14.
Two nurses working in the ER that night later showed symptoms and were placed in home quarantine. Hospital staff contacted 250 people on the weekend believed to have come into contact with the nurses.
Dr. Cushman said it turned out after investigation that neither nurse had contact with the original patient, who at this point is back home in Toronto and not in hospital.
One nurse has a respiratory tract infection and is resting at her home in Ottawa.
The other nurse was placed in home isolation last week and is now with his family in Cornwall, having recovered from a "classic cold."
Neither nurse became ill until May 24, 11 days after the suspected exposure and after the acute respiratory syndrome's incubation period.
"Once there's no link, we go back to business as usual," said Dr. Gary Garber, head of the hospital's infectious diseases division.
The original patient attended her grandfather's funeral in Toronto with sick family members. She came to Ottawa where she visited the hospital. Her grandfather -- suspected of being a part of Toronto's "phase two" cluster -- underwent surgery and developed pneumonia before he died, Dr. Garber said. Emergency room workers will remain on alert indefinitely and continue to wear masks and gloves. Dr. Chris Carruthers, the hospitals' chief of staff, said visitor restrictions will remain for the time.
