1887
Volume 2003, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0253-8253
  • EISSN: 2227-0426

Abstract

SARS is a term used to describe a serious respiratory illness. Its main symptoms are high fever (>38° C), dry cough, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing. Changes in chest X-rays indicative of pneumonia also occur. SARS appears to be less infectious than influenza. The incubation period is believed to be short, around three to six days (maximum 10 days). The global death rate for probable SARS cases is 4%. The cause of SARS has now been documented by WHO to be USARS coronavirus” (SARS CoV) a new member of the coronavirus family. Most patients identified up to date have been previously healthy adults aged 25—70 years. Based on currently available evidence, close contact with an infected person poses the highest risk of the infective agent spreading from one person to another. SARS is a new disease which has its origins in Guangdong Province, China. The earliest known cases were identified in mid-November 2002.Since then, probable cases of SARS have been reported in at least 28 countries.

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/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2003.1.22
2003-06-01
2024-03-28
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References

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  • Article Type: Letter to the Editor
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