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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a condition of unknown etiology that has been afflicting patients in Asia, North America, and Europe. A majority of the people afflicted with SARS have been adults between the ages of 25 and 70 who are healthy. Very few cases have been identified in children below fifteen years old.
Symptoms:
The severity of the
illness ranges greatly from mild illness to death. SARS is spread
through close contact with patients who have been diagnosed within 10 days.
Close contact means having cared for, lived with, or had direct contact
with respiratory secretions and body fluids.
If EMS personnel encounter a patient that could possibly have SARS, it is imperative that they follow the CDC's Interim Infection Control Reccomendations for Health Care Settings.
Additional information regarding SARS can be obtained from the following websites:
The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The
World Health Organization (WHO)
Office
of Emergency Medical Services Revised SARS Policy