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* SARS INFO *
SARS/ The disease SARS - Protection against
SARS - sars symptoms
(Source : Saxion Hogeschool Enschede :
http://www.stadscampus.hen.nl/prv/sars.htm)
At the moment there is a lot of unrest
at Saxion about the disease called SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome). By publishing this message we at International Office hope
to lessen this unrest by providing you with some useful information
about this disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
has sent out a worldwide alarm about a contagious type of atypical
pneumonia, (SARS) involving clusters of patients from Hong Kong, the
Province of Guangdong in the People's Republic of China and Hanoi in
Vietnam. Other isolated cases have also been related to the disease,
these were found in Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Japan. So far 150 people have been diagnosed as having
SARS, nine of whom have died from the disease. The cause is unknown.
Early signs include flu-like symptoms
such as a fever, aching muscles, headache, sore throat, a dry cough
and breathlessness. People coming into close contact with patients
also develop the same symptoms. The incubation period is estimated to
be between 2 – 7 days.
In reaction to the World Health
Organisation’s report, International Office want to inform you of the
following.
1
Case definition
The first case was reported after 1
March 2003. You should look out for the following:
- a temperature of more than
38°C;
AND
- one or more symptoms of a
respiratory nature such as coughing, breathlessness, difficulty
breathing, hypoxia and signs of a lung infection on a chest x-ray;
AND
- you have recently (less than 10
days ago) visited Hong Kong, the Province of Guangdong in the People's
Republic of China and Hanoi in Vietnam, in the course of which you
came into close contact with someone who had a serious respiratory
condition.
Any patient showing the
above-mentioned symptoms must be checked to see if they meet the case
definition.
2 Diagnosis
The initial diagnosis must consist of
at least the following: a chest x-ray, determining the oxygen level in
the blood, a blood test, a gram test, a sputum culture, testing for
respiratory pathogens (organisms) particularly the A and B strains of
the flu as well as the respiratory syncytical virus. As long as we do
not know what causes the disease all samples of sputum, blood and
serum must be kept for more tests.
3 Measures to prevent the
infection spreading
Whenever a patient has to be admitted
to hospital, the hygienist and the microbiologist must be warned
immediately. As long as the cause remains unknown, additional hygienic
measures must be taken in accordance with the prescribed guidelines to
prevent the disease spreading:
-
isolate the patient in a room with a sluis, preferably
with negative pressure;
-
people who enter the room must follow the measures for
strict isolation as laid down in WIP guideline 4b, which includes
wearing a tightly fitted mask (reach 1 micron).
If it is not necessary to admit the
patient, he must avoid outdoor contact as much as possible for the
duration of his illness. It is recommended that the patient wears a
mouth/nose mask while ambulant and medical tests are being carried
out, when travelling and coming into contact with other people at
home. If the patient cannot tolerate a mask, then those in his
vicinity must wear a mouth/nose mask.
4 Treatment
Because the cause (aetiology) of the
disease is still unknown, there are no specific recommendations for
treatment. Initial treatment should be aimed at micro-organisms, which
are normally associated with atypical pneumonia that was picked up
outside hospital. Consultation with a virologist and/or microbiologist
is advisable.
5 Reporting cases
The Inspectorate urgently request you
to report all cases of SARS that meet the case definition as quickly
as possible to the GGD (Dutch Area Health Authorities) and the Dutch
Inspectorate for Medical Care (Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg).
Further information can be obtained by
visiting the web sites of the WHO (www.who.int)
and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (www.cdc.gov).
The Inspectorate has sent a copy of
this letter to all the GGDs and other relevant organisations.
On behalf of the Inspector-General for
Medical Care
J.K.van Wijngaarden,
Inspector Contagious Diseases
The current state of affairs is that
no warning has been issued against visiting a high-risk country.
International Office will do our best to keep you informed, but if you
wish some more information, please visit the following web sites.
Website WHO:
- (US) Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention: www.cdc.gov;
- Ministerie van Volksgezondheid,
Welzijn en Sport : www.minvws.nl.
Source: http://www.stadscampus.hen.nl/prv/sars.htm
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