Acquiring SARS infection is usually associated with travel to a country where SARS has been reported or contact with an ill person who has just returned from that country. Persons who may have been exposed to SARS should seek medical care immediately. Call a health care provider if a fever or respiratory symptoms develop. Be sure to tell them that possible exposure to SARS may have occurred.
Follow the guidelines described in Prevention to limit the spread and transmission of SARS infection.
SARS is a serious viral illness that requires prompt medical attention and hospitalization. Once the person is discharged from the hospital, follow-up care with a health care provider should be scheduled.
Persons in direct, close contact with someone who has had SARS are at greatest risk for infection. Persons with SARS or those at risk for SARS should follow the guidelines outlined below. The WHO and CDC have established guidelines to help in the prevention and spread of SARS.
SARS can result in serious illness and medical complications that require hospitalization, intensive care treatment, and mechanical ventilation. The most recent numbers indicate that the death rate from SARS is higher than that of influenza or other common respiratory tract infections. The overall death rate from SARS is about 10%.