Sars

SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) can cause symptoms ranging from mild illness to severe pneumonia. Healthcare Providers should notify the Division of Public Health when there is a suspected case of SARS or for any unusual respiratory Illness. Initial symptoms would be a fever of 38.0° Celsius, headache, discomfort, body aches, mild respiratory symptoms, and possibly some diarrhea. After 7 to 10 days symptoms would include a dry cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. To have contracted SARS a person would’ve had to travel to a SARS affected area or have had close contact with a person infected with SARS within the last 10 days. The incubation period after being exposed is 7 to 10 days. Close contact means contact with respiratory secretions from an infected person, such as kissing, hugging, sharing eating or drinking utensils, or sustained interaction within 3 feet of an infected person. The virus is spread through close personal contact with respiratory droplets when the infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes. (Wisconsin Dertment of Health Services (WDHS), 2012) When a patient has a cough related to illness, the nurse and other healthcare providers should initially offer the patient a mask to prevent spread of possible virus droplets. When any health care provider has reason to believe that a person or persons may have a SARS infection, he or she needs to immediately report the case by telephone to the patient’s local health department. The local health department is to notify the state epidemiologist immediately and within 24 hours complete and submit a case report online through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS), or alternately a report may be filed by mail or fax, using the paper form, “Acute and Communicable Disease Case Report”. The local public health nurse needs to follow appropriate isolation guidelines, including droplet

References: Marchione, M. (2003, April 30). State reports first 'probable ' case of SARS. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/903428/posts. Wisconsin Dertment of Health Services (WDHS). (2012, June 13). Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Retrieved from Wisconsin Department of Health Services: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/diseasepages/SARS.htm Wisconsin Division of Public Health. (2011, May 19). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Associated Coronavirus (SARS Co-V). Retrieved from Wisconsin Division of Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance Guideline: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/EpiNetGuidance/EpiSARS.pdf