Order Only: Something definitely is going on in the muggle camps

[alt_arthur]

And it sounds like an epidemic. Norma Brownmiller came to see me in somewhat of a panic today, against the direct orders, I may add, of her supervisor, that malignant berk Griderson. Griderson, apparently, wants to keep what's going on hush-hush, but Brownmiller has background as an epidemiologist, and she insisted on sending a report to St Mungo's and then came to see me. She says she knows we won't be able to fill the work requisition orders in Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. It's showing up in about half the camps in those areas. In Hertfordshire it's been reported in Three Rivers, Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield, Stevenage, North Hertfordshire, and Dacorum. In Lincolnshire, that's Lincoln, South Kesteven, Boston, and West Lindsey. The only camp in West Midlands that's been struck is Walsall. But it worries her--and me--immensely that we're seeing this appear simultaneously in such widely divergent areas of the country.

Griderson has tried to brush the whole thing off as a standard muggle disease--he's not particular about which one to blame. He named measles, whooping cough and typhoid, which made Norma roll her eyes. Norma insists it's something new that she's never seen before, and she can't find anything like it in the literature. A lot of jargon followed that I don't understand about micokescopes and T-sells and--well, Norma wants my support at the next department meeting to push for something called an 'epidemic report order' from St Mungo's. Apparently, if she can convince St Mungo's that something serious is going on, she can get more Healers and--more importantly--money for potions appropriated for the camps so designated.

I asked Norma how this unnamed sickness progresses. It begins with fever, aches, and breathing difficulties, which for some patients progresses to pneumonia. A significant portion experience muscle weakness so extreme that people simply collapse and remain bed-ridden for a long time. That is what is causing most of Griderson's consternation about the whole thing: work orders are going unfilled because too many muggles are simply unable to work.

Deaths have been reported, but it's early days yet, and Norma says there isn't enough data to ascertain exactly what percentage will be so affected.

There have been no confirmed reports of this unnamed disorder striking anyone with magical ability--yet. But Norma believes we aren't immune.

Poppy, despite Norma's assurances that there haven't been magical patients yet--this isn't anything like what you've been seeing at Hogwarts, is it? I'm enclosing Norma's report to you via owl; I assume you'll be able to make sense of the technical jargon.

Comments

[alt_molly]

I would certainly like to hear any reassurances you may have, Poppy.

[alt_poppy]

Thank you, Arthur, for sending that report. I already have a request in to St Mungo's to firechat with the disease specialists there, but given all of this, I suspect my request will not be their top priority for a while. Perhaps they'll know a bit more by the time I hear from them. Rest assured: I will not give any indication that I've had access to any of this information.

I can't deny that we are seeing a lot of illness here this autumn or that there is some superficial similarity between the initial symptoms the camps are seeing and those cropping up here--because fever, aches, congestion, and even some muscle weakness are the basic symptoms of many common ailments.

I can only tell you that we've not had any cases with long duration or with the total debilitation described in the report. Most of ours respond very quickly to Pepper-up or Tummy Tonic, and even the more severe cases have all responded to the medicines I have on hand.

I must say that at the moment, the worst difficulty we are facing is the need to reassure a great many parents after they read yesterday in the journals about young Mr Wood's illness. I've lost count of the number of owls I've answered today, and my fire! Oh, my. I believe the Headmistress has taken things in hand and will be communicating with parents directly.

[alt_arthur]

Oh, dear. I'm quite certain that Percy would be rather mortified if he knew that something he said in the journals was creating yet more problems for you. Usually he does his best to scotch rumours and wild speculation in the journals.

[alt_poppy]

Oh, not to worry! He did the right thing by bringing the boy here, and that is what matters most.

(I suspect that Mr Wood will make the point himself that it would have been better to keep the details private.)

[alt_frank]

this'll make our extractions tough. any thoughts on how we're getting in?

if it's getting bad at the camps, we need to move quickly. it was tough enough when we were dealing with diphtheria.

Poppy, Stephen is asking about possible measures we can take. he's already set up a quarantine room.

[alt_poppy]

If the children have been born in camps where this unknown contagion has broken out, I hate to say it, Frank, but you should wait.

Wait at least until we know what sort of illness it is, so we have some way of knowing how to protect against it. These are infants, we're talking about. If you quarantine them, you will have to also quarantine the adult caregivers, as well; in other words, you would have to decide amongst you which of you will risk falling ill with this unknown disease in order to care for the children in isolation. Otherwise, you place all of the children and all of the rest of you at the Sanctuary at risk.

My best advice is what you least wish to hear: you ought to wait until the camps are free of contagion before you remove these children. I understand the risk that they might not survive, but that must be balanced against the much larger risk, that many of you at the Sanctuary might perish.