Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/04/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I agree with Joseph, the SARS ward is not a place for someone without good medical or nursing training in infection control. The risk is too high, just to remind you that the official mortality for SARS from WHO is 5.9%. I am not in the front line like Joseph but I am also a medic working in another major Hong Kong hospital on the other side of the harbour. I am more with the administrators and we had a special task force meeting every other day for the last few weeks and we had extensive discussion on infection control etc. To stay on topic, about your Leica gear, they will be contaminated, no doubt. Our chest physician used to describe the SARS wards as "filled with air saturated with SARS virus particles". Original comments from our microbiologists basing on previously known types of corona-viruses was that, articles not heavily contaminated can be left dry and it will be safe after 3 hours or so. Articles visibly contaminated by fluid or secretion should be discarded. Recent study after we isolated the virus appears to suggest that at least 24 hours of quarantine of the equipment (your Leica) would be necessary. I heard another report today that some researcher found that at 24 hours, the virus only decrease by about one log, i.e. down to one tenth only. So if you got your Leica gears contaminated by using them there, you may have to leave them somewhere for a number of days before you can touch them and who knows what will happen even after weeks. We simply do not have the data. Apart from 70% alcohol, you may also consider 1:100 household bleach if you like to try on your Leica. Heating it up is another option, but you may to go up to more than 60-70 degree Celsius for more than a few minutes. Citizens in Beijing are buying all the microwave ovens they can get to try to sterilise their masks and household articles, but I think it may not work for your all metal Leica. Joseph's idea of using diving enclosures is probably the best you can try. I do not have such gears, if I really have to shoot in a SARS ward, I will get one of those fully-waterproof-all-in-one-single-use-800ASA-with-built-in-flash cameras. Soak it in diluted bleach or 70%alcohol before handing it to the photo-shops. Anyway, think twice before you take up the task. Good luck, CC Yau Hong Kong On Thursday, April 24, 2003, at 03:35 AM, Joseph Yao wrote: > Boon, > > I don't think I am the expert to tell you whether it is safe to shoot > in > confinement full of SARS patients. We wear full protective clothing > and yet > nurses and doctors go down with SARS. The _exact_ mode of > transmission is > still not fully understood. > > I doubt you will be able to use your Leica M. With the goggles, N100 > mask > and full face shield you are supposed to wear, your eyes will be > several > inches away from the camera eyepiece. You will be much better off > with a > digital camera, using its LCD screen for composing. > > I disinfect my goggles, stethoscopes etc. with 70% alcohol. Whether > you > would like to do the same to your Leica is another question! In my > case I > use a Canon S45 digital camera in a modified underwater housing and it > is > far easier to disinfect the housing than the camera. > > Best regards, > > Joseph > > > on 23/4/03 10:53 am, Red Dawn at reddawn@singnet.com.sg wrote: > >> Hi Joseph, >> >> i haven't been following the list closely recently due to the SARS >> thing (i >> live in Singapore, which is one of the infected countries :[ ). I've >> recently been offered the chance to shoot in the major SARS affected >> hospital to document the work of doctors and nurses as a tribute to >> them. >> >> from ur judgement, is it safe for a photographer to work within the >> confines >> of a SARS hotbed if all the necessary precautions are taken and >> provided the >> photographer does not go too close to the patients themselves? (as >> least, >> not as close as the doctors get!) >> >> and how do i disinfect my Leicas anyway? since the disease is >> airborne and >> transmitted via droplets, would it be just enough to put the gear in >> a dry >> case with plenty of silica gel to get everything all dried up? >> >> Boon Hwee > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html