The primary way SARS appears to spread is by close person-to-person contact with body secretions, through large droplet contamination and not aerosol spread. Most cases have involved people in health care of patients with SARS or lived with a person who had SARS, leading to direct contact with infectious material like respiratory secretions. This could also mean handling objects contaminated with infectious material.
Possibility to be considered is patient had traveled (including transit in Airport) within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area with current or previously documented community transmission of SARS, or close contact with person known or suspected to have SARS.
The incubation period is 2-10 days. The risk of infection is minimal during incubation period or first
1-2 days of illness, and most during 3-4 days of illness when they are obviously unwell.
Young people appear to be less susceptible than adults. lmmuno-compromised do not seem any more vulnerable. There is initial fever (38 degrees Celsius or more) with chills, headache, muscle soreness, and malaise. Dry unproductive cough follows after 3-7 days. There could be hypoxaemia with cough. 10-20% require some type of assistance in breathing. Chest film shows pneumonic shadows.
Diagnosis is confirmed by sending to the designated regional laboratory, specimens from the patient like blood, stool, respiratory secretions, or body tissues for viral culture PCR, Antigen detection, lmmunoassaying and or serologic antibody assays. Most antibody tests take more than 10 days. Very rapid tests taking just hours are being evolved
