This morning we got our first glimpse into the SARS epidemic--or at least into efforts to contain it. We were keeping an appointment made some time ago with an orthopaedic surgeon at McMaster University Medical Centre. Only staff were permitted to park in the underground garage; everyone else was rerouted to the above-ground lot near the general admission entrance. We were all ushered into a makeshift anteroom encased in somewhat transparent flexible plastic, where we were greeted by officials straining to be heard through their face masks. We filled out three green forms verifying that we had not been to specific southeast Asian countries within the last ten days, had not been to Scarborough Grace Hospital recently, were not running a temperature, &c. Needless to say, we had to wash our hands on the way in and on the way out.

It was all rather disconcerting, but it's good that they're taking precautions. Let's hope officials meet with success in containing the outbreak.