Lessons from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): Implications for Infection Control

Richard P Wenzel; Gonzalo Bearman; Michael B Edmond

doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2005.03.040

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Lessons from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): Implications for Infection Control

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Lessons from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): Implications for Infection Control

Richard P Wenzel, Gonzalo Bearman and Michael B Edmond

Archives of Medical Research, Vol.36(6), pp.610-616

2005

DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2005.03.040

PMID: 16216641

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Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the first global epidemic in the 21 st century, affected over 8500 people in approximately 30 countries (1–7). With a crude mortality of 9%, its cause was quickly identified as a novel coronavirus that jumped species from animals to man. The SARS coronavirus epidemic, which began in the Fall of 2002, was related to the exotic food industry in southern China, initially involving disproportionate numbers of animal handlers, chefs, and caterers. Subsequently, person-to-person transmission spawned the outbreak. What distinguished this illness clinically was the fact that approximately half of the victims were health care workers (8), infected while caring for recognized or unrecognized patients with SARS. There are many curiosities and uncertainties surrounding the epidemic of SARS with lessons that may be useful to the community of infectious diseases physicians, especially when looking ahead to the next epidemic. Herein we relate our perspectives on useful lessons derived from a review of the SARS epidemic.

Emergent infectious diseases

Health care workers

Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Infection control

Details

Title: Subtitle: Lessons from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): Implications for Infection Control
Creators: Richard P Wenzel - Department of Internal Medicine
Gonzalo Bearman - Hospital Epidemiologist, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia
Michael B Edmond - Hospital Epidemiologist, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Archives of Medical Research, Vol.36(6), pp.610-616
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2005.03.040
PMID: 16216641
ISSN: 0188-4409
eISSN: 1873-5487
Language: English
Date published: 2005
Academic Unit: Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9983905531402771

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