Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious, sometimes deadly, infectious disease. It was first reported in Asia in February 2003. SARS was caused by a previously unrecognized coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus, (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that look like a halo or crown when seen under a microscope. The primary way that SARS is spread is by close person-to-person contact. SARS-CoV is most often spread by respiratory droplets (droplet spread). Droplets are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can travel a short distance (generally up to three feet) through the air. Health care providers diagnose SARS based on the symptoms and the likelihood that a person has been exposed to SARS. Laboratory tests are available to confirm the diagnosis. People who are suspected to have SARS receive the same treatment as other people who have serious pneumonia. No SARS vaccine has yet been developed and no anti-viral medicines have been shown to be effective in preventing or treating SARS-CoV infection.

• SARS fact sheet
• SARS resources (CDC)
• Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

• CDC SARS information for clinicians/health care settings
  
  
• Historical archive of SARS clinical advisories and resources
  • SARS screening and reporting for health care providers
  • SARS screening forms
  • Discharging a patient with suspect SARS-CoV from the inpatient or outpatient setting
  • Infection control and recommendations for universal respiratory etiquette
  • Isolation and quarantine
  • Laboratory diagnosis
  • Case counts in King County
    
    
• World Health Organization guidance and updates