Basic information about SARS
Basic information about SARS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided the following basic information about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS):
- Definition of SARS. SARS is a respiratory illness that has recently been reported in Asia, North America, and Europe.
- Symptoms of SARS. In general, SARS begins with a fever greater than 100.4°F (> 38.0°C). Other symptoms may include headache, an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Some people also experience mild respiratory symptoms. After two to seven days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough and have trouble breathing.
- How SARS spreads. The primary way that SARS appears to spread is by close person-to-person contact. Most cases of SARS have involved people who cared for or lived with someone with SARS, or had direct contact with infectious material (for example, respiratory secretions) from a person who has SARS. Potential ways in which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of other people or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets and then touching your eye(s), nose, or mouth. It also is possible that SARS can be spread more broadly through the air or by other ways that are currently not known. (Some researchers think feces may spread it.)
- Who is at risk for SARS. Most of the U.S. cases of SARS have occurred among travelers returning to the United States from other parts of the world with SARS. There have been very few cases as a result of spread to close contacts such as family members and health care workers. Currently, there is no evidence that SARS is spreading more widely in the community in the United States.
- Possible cause of SARS. Scientists at the CDC and other laboratories have detected a previously unrecognized coronavirus in patients with SARS. The new coronavirus is the leading candidate for the cause of SARS.
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