diagnosed in patients who either lived in or visited the Arabian peninsula

and the first patient died of his pulmonary

or lung infection in June and now there is a second case

currently in hospital in the United Kingdom having returned from Saudi Arabia

with the exact same strain of the virus. Obviously people are concerned

could this be the next SARS. SARS, you will recall was also

a coronavirus. So this is not the SARS coronavirus

although it's in the same family, it's a very different virus and at this point in time

it's not behaving the way SARS did in that we really just have

the two cases separated by several months. But I think

it's important that we remain vigilent. The Public Health

Agency of Canada has recommended that any patient who develop pneumonia

within ten days of returning from the Arabian subpenisula

should be put into an isolation facility while investigations are

being done. But perhaps the most important thing at this time

is to remember that influenza season is right around the corner

and we'll be seeing more influenza, whether it's the pandemic

strain H1N1 or H3N2, time will tell.

But it is certain that we will be seeing influenza and the influenza vaccine

is going to become available within the next month

and this is just a reminder that we should all receive the vaccine to protect

ourselves and other high-risk individuals in our families

and our community.