Hello folks,
Quoted from below: "We are close to knowing what causes it. Until recently, we thought it belonged to a member of the paramyxovirus family. This family includes measles, mumps and parainfluenza. But now, it appears that a coronovirus, not a paramyxovirus, causes the syndrome. [Coronoviruses are thought to cause one-third of common colds]" BROOKS: What data do you have on CS vs. cornovirus? At least it is easier to pronounce. JOH By Noël Holton University of Maryland Medical System Web Site Writer Michael Donnenberg, M.D., head of the University of Maryland Medical Centers Division of Infectious Diseases, answers some questions about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the mysterious, new pneumonia that has been confounding public health officials on several continents. Having originated in parts of Asia [Peoples´ Republic of China; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Singapore], it has spread via travelers to Europe, Canada and probably the United States (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there were 51 suspected cases in this country as of March 28, 2003). Scroll below for more information. What is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)? Until we learn more about it, the Centers for Disease Control is using a case definition to describe it. They are defining the disease as one that encompasses symptoms of respiratory illness and a fever. Not everyone with these symptoms has a case of SARS, however. The CDC adds that they must have had recent, close contact with a person under investigation or suspected of having SARS, or have recently traveled to an area with documented transmission of SARS. Obviously, not everyone suspected of having SARS will turn out to have it, but the CDC definition is broad at this point so that they dont miss any cases. Do we know what causes it? We are close to knowing what causes it. Until recently, we thought it belonged to a member of the paramyxovirus family. This family includes measles, mumps and parainfluenza. But now, it appears that a coronovirus, not a paramyxovirus, causes the syndrome. [Coronoviruses are thought to cause one-third of common colds] What are its symptoms? SARS symptoms are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses. They include a cough, shortness of breath, trouble breathing and evidence of pneumonia on a chest X-ray. A fever over 100.4° F is another symptom. Is there an incubation period? Yes, the incubation period seems to be four to seven days. It is certainly less than 10 days. How is it spread? It is spread through close contact. Almost everyone who has had it has either been a family member of an infected person or medical personnel who have cared for the person directly. It looks like it is probably spread through the droplets that travel through the air when a person coughs or sneezes in close proximity to another person. Is it deadly? So far [as of March 28, 2003], there have been about 53 deaths out of 1,485 confirmed cases [according to the World Health Organization]. Are there any groups of people, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems for example, that are particularly vulnerable to SARS? Not necessarily. This illness has been infecting people of all ages. Many of the people who have died from SARS have been people who were previously healthy. How do you treat the illness? The main thing is getting patients suspected of having SARS on proper isolation so that it doesnt spread further and so that medical personnel dont get it. Other than that, you support the patient the same way you would for other respiratory illnesses. Because we dont know a lot about it yet, it is hard to pinpoint an exact treatment. An antiviral drug is being used in some cases, but we dont know if it is actually working or if the pneumonia is just running its course. Most of the people who have contracted it just seem to get better and go home on their own. -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
