Sars – a new risk for health professionals

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new, severe and contagious infectious disease. It was first recognized in February 2003 and spread within months from China in v 29 countries. SARS causes a new virus (coronavirus SARS-CoV), against which the mankind has no immunity, and can therefore infect everybody among us. The virus is spread from human to human predominantly by droplets, less frequently by airborne transmission or contaminated surfaces, possibly through feces and urine. The disease begins 2 to 10 days after infection with fever, muscular pain and headache. Later, cough, shortness of breath and diarrhea follow. More than 20 % of patients needs treatment in an intensive care unit with intubation and mechanical ventilation. Among the patients so far more than half were health professionals, in half the cases transmission occurred within the hospital. We can prevent the spread of the infection by early detection of new cases, isolation, appropriate protection of health professionals, and tracking of persons which were in contact with patients with SARS. In this article, diseases symptoms, causative pathogen, transmission and control measures for prevention of spread of SARS are summarized.