Big problem: I've lost the dpkg status file !!!

["Benj" <koros@club-internet.fr>]

Hi, today was a nightmare.
I ran an apt-get upgrade. It screwed our system, had to go to the NOC and
restore previous kernel.

System is now back to working perfectly.
Except that ALL the dpkg system is screwed !!!

I don't know why, the /var/lib/dpkg/status file disapeared after the
dramatic apt-get upgrade.

So ALL the functions involving this file (apt-get, dpkg, dpkg --list.....)
are not working anymore because they can't read the file !!

I have backups, but they are outdated, since lots of stuff were updated
during the apt-get upgrade and they don't seem to work.

Is there a way to rebuild the status file ? I mean I have lots of package
installed, isn't there a way for the system to rebuild this file after seing
what I have on the system ?
I would like also to have all the dependencies up to date and working.

Is it possible or am I completely dead and have no way to use again the
debian package system ?

This is very important.
Thanks,

Donov