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| Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
Goals
- Maximize
early detection of cases and clusters of respiratory infections
that might signal the re-emergence of SARS-CoV disease while
minimizing unnecessary laboratory testing, concerns about SARS-CoV,
implementation of control measures, and social disruption.
- If
SARS-CoV transmission recurs, maintain prompt and complete
identification and reporting of potential cases to facilitate
outbreak control and management.
- Identify
and monitor contacts of cases of SARS-CoV disease to enable
early detection of illness in persons at greatest risk.
Key
concepts
- The
early clinical features of SARS-CoV disease are not specific
enough to reliably distinguish it from other respiratory illnesses.
- Risk
of exposure is key to considering the likelihood of a diagnosis
of SARS-CoV disease.
- Most
patients with SARS-CoV disease have a clear history of exposure
to another SARS patient or to a setting where SARS-CoV transmission
is occurring.
- SARS-CoV
transmission is usually localized and often limited to healthcare
settings or households.
- A
cluster of atypical pneumonia in healthcare workers may indicate
undetected
- SARS-CoV
transmission.
- In
a setting of extensive SARS-CoV transmission, the possibility
of SARS-CoV disease should be considered in all persons with
a fever or lower respiratory illness, even if an epidemiologic
link cannot be readily established.
- Up-to-date
information on the transmission of SARS-CoV globally is needed
to accurately assess exposure risks.
- Contact
tracing is resource intensive yet critical to containment efforts
as it allows early recognition of illness in persons at greatest
risk.
- Frequent
communication among public health officials and healthcare
providers, real-time analysis of data, and timely dissemination
of information are essential for outbreak management.
- Swift
action to contain disease should be initiated when a potential
case is recognized, even though information sufficient to determine
case status may be lacking.
Priority
activities
- Educate
clinicians and public health workers on features that can assist
in early recognition of SARS and on guidelines for reporting
SARS-CoV cases.
- Develop
tools to identify, evaluate, and monitor contacts of SARS-CoV
patients.
- Establish
an efficient data management system that links clinical, epidemiologic
and laboratory data on cases of SARS-CoV disease and allows
rapid sharing of information.
- Identify
surge capacity for investigation of cases and identification,
evaluation, and monitoring of contacts in the event of a large
SARS outbreak.
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