The World Health Organization calls Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, a new communicable disease that is a global health threat. More than 480 people have recently fallen ill from the potentially fatal disease, which has spread around the globe by air travel.
Currently sporting a 3-4% fatality rate and requiring about 10-15% of victims to require mechanical ventilation - this is one nasty bug.
Consider that it appears to be related to the common cold which has an infection rate of 2-10% and we could be in for some big trouble.
Main Symptoms:
High fever (>38? Celsius);
Dry cough;
Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties;
Changes in chest X-rays indicative of pneumonia also occur;
SARS may be associated with other symptoms, including headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhea.
The respiratory symptoms appear two to seven days after exposure.
On March 25, SARS became a reportable, virulent, communicable disease in Ontario. The change allows public health officers to quarantine infectious people and their family members for up to 10 days to track the disease and prevent it from spreading.
On the other side of the Pacific, health officials in Singapore have quarantined more than 700 people who may be at risk. In Hong Kong, officials have called for all schools to be disinfected. Children with infected family members must avoid classes for a week.
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