Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
The following information is provided for your information and education only. As of 3/31/03, there has only been 1 probable case of SARS among the millions of college students in the United States. There have been no suspected cases of SARS at UW-Stout.
The Illness
What is SARS?
SARS is a respiratory illness that has recently been reported in Asia (China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam), North America, and Europe. For additional information, check the World Health Organization's (WHO) SARS Web site or visit other pages on the CDC's SARS website (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/).
What are the symptoms and signs of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (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. For more information, see the MMWR dispatch (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5212a5.htm).
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. For more information on SARS, see "Interim Information and Recommendations for Health Care Providers" (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/) on CDC's SARS website.
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.
What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under a microscope. These viruses are a common cause of mild to moderate upper-respiratory illness in humans and are associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver and neurologic disease in animals. Coronaviruses can survive in the environment for as long as three hours.
Is there a test for SARS?
No "test" is available yet for SARS; however, CDC, in collaboration with WHO and other laboratories, has developed 2 research tests that appear to be very promising in detecting antibodies to the new coronavirus. CDC is working to refine and share this testing capability as soon as possible with laboratories across the United States and internationally.
(Reprinted from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/faq.htm#illness, dates April 1, 2003, 9:30 AM EST)