Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
- A serious form of pneumonia caused by a member of the coronavirus family of viruses (the same family that can cause the common cold), so it is also called SARS-CoV.
- It infects both humans and animals (livestock, birds, etc.).
- It had spread like a pandemic in Hong Kong in March 2003, and from there it transmitted to several other countries.
- When someone with SARS coughs or sneezes, infected droplets spray into
the air. One can catch the SARS virus if you breathe in or touch these
particles. The SARS virus may live on hands, tissues, and other surfaces
for up to 6 hours in these droplets and up to 3 hours after the
droplets have dried.
- Symptoms : It includes flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, headaches,
diarrhea, sore throat, runny nose, malaise, and myalgia (muscle pain),
dry cough, shortness of breath, and an upper respiratory tract
infection.
- No cure
- If a person is suspected of having SARS, they should be kept isolated in the hospital.
