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May 2 , 2003

Toronto doctor released from SARS isolation

The Toronto psychiatrist who believed he may have been exposed to SARS was released from isolation in Iqaluit last Friday after his symptoms failed to develop into the deadly virus.

The psychiatrist practices at a Toronto facility that has treated two suspected and one probable case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

He arrived in Iqaluit on Sunday and came down with a fever and muscle pains on Monday evening. He entered voluntary isolation on Tuesday.

Nunavut health officials described his condition as "under investigation," a substantially lower risk group than either "suspected" or "probable" cases.

However, Nunatsiaq News has learned that five other members of Baffin Regional Hospitals psychiatric team were placed in quarantine for three days last week.

"Quarantine" is a lower-level precaution than "isolation," according to health department officials.

Isolation involves being watched to see if symptoms worsen. The Toronto doctor was being tested regularly and monitored continually for 72 hours.

Quarantine is a separation from the public that does not involve constant monitoring. The doctor's five Iqaluit colleagues did not exhibit any SARS-related symptoms, and were simply being held as a precaution.

The six health-care practitioners did not come from the same southern facility, and therefore were not exposed to the same risks.

After their release, they resumed their duties at Baffin Regional Hospital.

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