SARS in homeless population of Canada
[I got this off one of my mailing lists. Our neglect of the health and welfare of the poorest among us may now be deadly. -Thomas]
Homeless Not Harmless:
At high risk of catching and spreading SARS virus
Three homeless people found with SARS symptons so far.
Hospitals, Homeless Shelters, Nursing Homes placed on a
government “restricted” basis.
________________________________________________________________
By Staff Writers - CP 24 TV News - April 02, 2003
Toronto, Canada - It’s the one group that health officials most
fear will contract S.A.R.S.: the homeless. Street people with no
fixed address are almost impossible to keep track of, and can spread
the disease to thousands without even knowing it. Because they’re
transient, anyone with the disease has to be discovered and
contained
immediately.
And it now appears that – so far at least – there are three such
cases in the G.T.A. “We have looked at the issue of homeless
shelters because … they are places where sometimes people are
sicker than the average person in a regular workplace or public
place,” advises Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sheela
Basrur.
“And we are concerned that it may be difficult to ensure home
quarantine for people who don’t have a home. So what we have done …
is work out a protocol by which people who are homeless … can be
properly assessed and treated in accordance with the principles that
apply to people who do have homes.”
All three cases have been connected to either Scarborough Grace or
York Central Hospitals. And while one has already been released,
another two have reportedly begun showing symptoms. They’re being
kept under observation in a non-shelter location.
The city has set up three special locations to examine the homeless
for S.A.R.S.
For details on the illness and the affect of SARS, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/8uvh
Copyright 2003 CHUM Limited
________________________________________________________________
source page: http://tinyurl.com/8uvl