Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) is a contagious respiratory infection that was first described on February 26, 2003 and is now widespread in Asia, North America, and Europe. The WHO has identified SARS as a global health threat and issued an unprecedented travel advisory. SARS is a serious form of pneumonia, resulting in acute respiratory distress and sometimes death which spreads very rapidly due to the increased number of travels from one country to another. In short, no country is completely safe from this disease.
I had recently been travelling in India and I could see the fear in the faces of many people upon seeing Asians(you know, the more Oriental types). They try to maintain a large distance from them. Such a situation in which people aren’t even aware of the basic symptoms of someone suffering from a disease that has become so notorious so quickly is pretty disappointing.
It is a more major threat than other influenza and other similar diseases because it is entirely new. The only people who have antibodies to fight it are those who have been infected and have now recovered and there is no definite treatment which can be followed.
Causes
The SARS pathogen is supposed to be a new type of coronavirus - highly contagious virus that causes a range of diseases including common cold and more serious conditions. Some researchers have identified a different virus family, the paramyxovirus, among patients.
Symptoms
The illness usually begins with a fever greater than 100.4°F sometimes associated with chills or headache, general discomfort and body pains.
After a few days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough that might be accompanied by or progress to the point where insufficient oxygen is getting to the blood.
Prevention
The WHO has observed that hand hygiene should be given topmost priority. So it is advisable to wash your hands preferrably with soap and warm water as often as possible.
Using a tissue paper while coughing or sneezing is also advisable.
The best way to prevent from being infected is to avoid contact with people who have SARS which is quite difficult because sometimes by the time a person is diagosed to be suffering from the disease, it would have spread to epidemic proportions. It is advised to minimise travel to countries where lots of people are infected with it.
Since it is communicable, you shouldn’t share utensils, glasses, hankies or towels with others. Gloves, masks and goggles can provide higher security.
If a person is suspected of suffering from SARS, he/she should immediately go for professional check up. Although, the disease has a low fatality, it would be easier to counter it if detected early.
Treatment
SARS patients are kept isolated in rooms with negative air pressure. They are given antibiotics. About 90% of patients recover by day 6.
From https://sars-rx.com -
Update April 2, 2003
Some 75 people have died from severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, according to the World Health Organization. More than 1, 800 cases of the mysterious pneumonia have been reported worldwide since November. There have been no deaths in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are investigating the U.S. cases, most of those reported among people who recently traveled to Asia.
Yesterday, passengers on an airline flight from Tokyo to the U.S. were not allowed to deplane in San Jose, California, after several passengers on board exhibited symptoms similar to those associated with SARS. Outbreaks of the disease have been reported from Vietnam to Canada although most of the confirmed cases have been in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The first known outbreak was in China’s southern Guangdong province, which abuts Hong Kong. Early cases weren’t noticed by world health authorities and went unreported by China’s media. By early February, however, Chinese Internet sites began carrying news of the disease. Soon after, the provincial government announced that the outbreak was under control. This proved to be false.
The illness causes high fever, muscle aches and shaking chills, followed by coughing and labored breathing. It has proven fatal in 4% of reported cases.
The SARS germ appears to spread mostly via droplets spewed by coughing or sneezing. Protective masks have been hot sellers in locations where the disease is prevalent.
Health officials say it is prudent for people who have visited Asia to monitor any signs of fever and to immediately seek medical help if in doubt.
Travel agents report widespread cancellation of planned trips to China. Many people appear reluctant to fly to Asia, with so much uncertainty about how SARS may be spread and the fact that there is no known cure.
Again from the same site, a different page,
*SARS has been called flumonia because it spreads like flu and kills like pneumonia.
SARS death rates seem to be around 4% of those infected
SARS deaths occur when lung tissue swells so that breathing becomes impossible.
SARS experimental treatments include the use of high dose steroids and antiviral medication.
SARS recovery rates seem to be higher in the young and those without other illnesses.
SARS is probably a spontaneous viral mutation from other viruses infecting animals and humans.*