SARS Fast Facts


What are the symptoms and signs of SARS?

The illness usually begins with a fever (measured
temperature greater than 100.4°F [>38.0°C]). The fever
is sometimes associated with chills or other symptoms,
including headache, general feeling of discomfort, and
body aches. Some people also experience mild
respiratory symptoms at the outset.

After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop a dry,
nonproductive cough that might be accompanied by or
progress to the point where insufficient oxygen is
getting to the blood. In 10% to 20% of cases, patients
will require mechanical ventilation.

If I were exposed to SARS, how long would it take for
me to become sick?

The incubation period for SARS is typically 2-7 days;
however, isolated reports have suggested an incubation
period as long as 10 days. The illness usually begins
with a fever (>100.4°F [>38.0°C]) (see signs and
symptoms, above).

What medical treatment is recommended for patients
with SARS?

CDC currently recommends that patients with SARS
receive the same treatment that would be used for any
patient with serious community-acquired atypical
pneumonia of unknown cause. Several treatment regimens
have been used for patients with SARS, but there is
insufficient information at this time to determine if
they have had a beneficial effect. Reported
therapeutic regimens have included antibiotics to
presumptively treat known bacterial agents of atypical
pneumonia. Therapy also has included antiviral agents
such as oseltamivir or ribavirin. Steroids also have
been administered orally or intravenously to patients
in combination with ribavirin and other
antimicrobials.

Spread of SARS

How is SARS spread?

The principal way SARS appears to be spread is through
droplet transmission; namely, when someone sick with
SARS coughs or sneezes droplets into the air and
someone else breathes them in. It is possible that
SARS can be transmitted more broadly through the air
or from objects that have become contaminated.

How long is a person with SARS infectious to others?

Information to date suggests that people are most
likely to be infectious when they have symptoms, such
as fever or cough. However, it is not known how long
before or after their symptoms begin that patients
with SARS might be able to transmit the disease to
others.

Who is most at risk of contracting SARS?

Cases of SARS continue to be reported primarily among
people who have had direct close contact with an
infected person, such as those sharing a household
with a SARS patient and health care workers who did
not use infection control procedures while caring for
a SARS patient. In the United States, there is no
indication of community transmission at this time. CDC
continues to monitor this situation very closely.

Cause of SARS

What is the cause of SARS?

Scientists at CDC and other laboratories have detected
a previously unrecognized coronavirus in patients with
SARS. While the new coronavirus is still the leading
hypothesis for the cause of SARS, other viruses are
still under investigation as potential causes.

FYI.

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Saravanan (Velu)
Love All & Serve All

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