You can learn all the basic facts on SARS by reading the excellent information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Go to: www.cdc.gov , look under ‘Spotlights’, and click on SARS.
On the CDC SARS page, the far right column (in yellow) lists: “News & Highlights.” It lists the cumulative Case Counts in the United States but also worldwide. Click here on the ‘worldwide’ button to go to WHO (World Health Organization) website.
At the right hand column of the WHO website, you will find daily updates of the cumulative # of cases of SARS (including cases by country) and also a list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS (formally SARS affected countries). WHO is now trying to give some idea of how much local transmission is occurring in these countries.
HOW IS THE HENDRIX STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES USING THIS INFORMATION?
Respiratory illness is common. Lots of people have fever and coughs. How can we tell who we should check for SARS? One way is to question people carefully about their recent travel. If they have recently traveled to SARS affected areas of the world, this increases the chances that their illness may be SARS. If they have not traveled to these areas and have had no contact with SARS patients, we evaluate them just as we would have before the SARS outbreak.
WHAT PROCEDURE DOES HENDRIX STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES STAFF FOLLOW WHEN EVALUATING INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT BE SICK WITH SARS?
Student Health Services staff follow up-to-the minute advice from the CDC in evaluating such patients, in order to abide by public laws in the United States. We also operate in close association with the public health department in Faulkner County.
Interim guidelines from CDC on evaluating patients exposed to SARS suggest separating out patients into 3 distinct groups, if they have been exposed to SARS. Patients with no fever and no respiratory symptoms need no particular management. If patients have respiratory symptoms but no fever, they are isolated for 72 hours (and may not go to work, to school, to public meeting areas, etc.). If these patients don’t develop fever (and don’t go on to meet the case definition of SARS), they can discontinue their isolation precautions after 72 hours. For patients with fever and respiratory symptoms, they are isolated as presumed cases of SARS until further clinical information is available. Usually this isolation period lasts 10 to 14 days, depending on how long the illness lasts.
QUARANTINE:
Means restriction of freedom of movement of apparently well individuals who may have been exposed to an infectious disease.
ISOLATION:
Means separation of infected individuals (those who are sick) from those uninfected for the period of communicability of a particular disease.
When patients have SARS, the isolation is more strict and very important, to keep the illness from spreading to others. CDC has clear information about how isolation should proceed and how others can protect themselves from SARS.
HOW CAN I GET ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS?
For students with questions about their personal health, they may contact the Student Health Services at 450-1448 or send an e-mail to chastain@hendrix.edu for more information.
For staff and faculty with questions regarding SARS, they may also feel free to consult with Student Health.