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Staff still wearing
protective gear
Residents getting cabin fever, says RN
Monday 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.
A report by Ontario's commissioner of public health and the chief
medical
officer of health stated a resident's death was "not thought to be related to
SARS." However, while administrator Mary Lynn Lester expected the quarantine
period to end April 12, staff has been instructed to keep on the precautionary
dress until cleared by the Ministry of the Health and Long-Term Care. This has
also entailed masking residents, if possible.
OMNI homes have been operating
on shut-down mode for weeks, banning visitors, re-routing deliveries and screening
staff. in Ontario thirteen have died from the pneumonia strain, Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome. West Lake admitted a resident in mid-March who had been
at Scarborough
Grace Hospital, one of the Toronto hospitals with cases of the contagious virus.
She came down with a fever, one of the symptoms of SARS, before she died on April
2. Staff and residents were quarantined as a precaution. It continues until further
notice, says a registered nurse at West Lake.
"A lot of residents are getting
cabin fever," she says.
She adds it was particularly hard on residents because
they couldn't visit
their family over the Easter weekend. |
| In an effort to bring
you independent news about the OMNI community, this
story was prepared by a third party news provider,
Axiom
News Services. It has not been subject
to prior editorial approval by OMNI Health Care. |
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News writer
c/o Natalie Miller
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