Donald Low (May 2, 1945 - September 18, 2013) was a Canadian microbiologist noted for his role in battling the SARS outbreak of 2003. He was microbiologist-in-chief at
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) is a hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mount Sinai is part of Sinai Health. Sinai Health was formed through the voluntary amalgamation of Mount Sinai Hospital (including the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute) ...
, from 1985 to 2013.
Low graduated from medical school at the
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
''. Retrieved September 21, 2013. He was one of several physicians who were required to quarantine themselves at home during part of the outbreak. In 2005 he took on the role of medical director of public health laboratory of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. Low was also a noted expert in
necrotizing fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, is a bacterial infection that results in the death of parts of the body's soft tissue. It is a severe disease of sudden onset that spreads rapidly. Symptoms usually include red or p ...
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...
reporter
Maureen Taylor
Maureen Taylor is a Canadian television and radio personality. She graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1983, with a degree in journalism. Taylor first worked for the CBC as a reporter based in Windsor, Ontario. She also worked in ...
. He had three children from a previous marriage. Low was diagnosed with a brain tumour in February 2013, and died on September 18, 2013, at age 68. In a video published after his death, Low calls for Canada to allow assisted suicide, saying "I’m just frustrated with not being able to have control of my own life, not being able to make the decision myself when enough is enough."McDiarmid, Jessica (September 24, 2013). Dr. Donald Low, face of the SARS crisis, pleads for ‘dying with dignity’ .
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...