Guyana issues SARS advisory
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) may be across the globe in China and Canada, but the government of Guyana is taking no chances. The country's Health Ministry joined several of its Caricom counterparts and the World Health Organization in issuing a travel advisory to Toronto, Canada. Toronto is a popular travel destination for Guyanese, with many also calling the country home.
A release from the ministry on Thursday advised all persons entering Guyana from any of the affected countries to "immediately consult with a physician should they develop any of the symptoms of the disease."
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy told the local Stabroek News publication that his ministry was taking SARS seriously. He said that people travelling from Toronto would automatically be viewed as being a risk.
He explained that those persons will be issued with a "green card" alerting them to the disease and the signs they should look for. They will have to be also screened at the ministry's health facility at the airport where they would be questioned by health officials. The minister said they had also considered having airline officials and immigration officers wearing protective gear since they were the first people to come into contact with persons travelling from infected areas.
The ministry also encouraged local physicians to be on the alert for persons meeting the case definitions for the disease and for them to report immediately by calling the telephone numbers listed at the airport. "Patients suspected of having the illness can also be referred to the Georgetown Hospital for follow-up management," the release said. Symptoms of the virus include high fever, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. Some 15 deaths have occurred from the disease in Toronto. Worldwide, 251 persons have died and 4,200 have been infected.
On Wednesday WHO issued a travel advisory stating that as a result of its ongoing assessment of the SARS epidemic in Beijing and Shanxi Province, China and in Toronto, Canada, it was recommending as a precaution, that all persons planning to travel to those destinations consider postponing all but essential travel.