Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

It's been here for quite a while now and it's about time that I write something about it. Besides, the title of this blog is "The Doctor is IN!", right? So, it's rightful if I tell something about this dreaded disease. SARS is a respiratory illness that has recently been reported in North America, Europe and Asia specifically Hongkong and China. So if your friend came somewhere in the vicinity where SARS is endemic, better watch out! It's like asking if a person came from Mindoro, Palawan and Cagayan de Oro if you're suspecting of malaria. So how do you know if you have acquired SARS? It usually starts with non-specific signs like high-grade fever, chills, headache, general feeling of discomfort and myalgia (muscle pains). After the incubation period of 2 to 7 days, the patient will start to experience respiratory symptoms like dry, non-productive cough and dyspnea (difficulty in breathing). How is it spread? Just like any respiratory disease, it is usually spread by droplet transmission. And it was already confirmed that SARS is caused by a coronavirus through polymerase chain reaction. How about the treatment? There's still no specific treatment for SARS, just supportive. They have tried steroids, antiviral drugs like oseltamivir or ribavirin. If you have any other question regarding SARS, don't hesitate to ask me if you see the sign, "The Doctor is IN!" Tags: SARS, tips, medicine, doctormagnus