STATEMENT OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN (D-MI)
BEFORE THE
PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS
ON
SARS: BEST PRACTICES FOR IDENTIFYING AND CARING FOR NEW
CASES
July 30, 2003
I want to begin by commending Sen. Coleman
for holding this hearing to push for the development of
best practices for responding to SARS cases before there
is an immediate problem. Advance planning now can save lives
and prevent future confusion, concern, and unnecessary costs.
SARS is a disease that we cannot afford to ignore. Its global
impact has already been significant. Cases have been reported
in approximately 30 countries. Over 800 individuals have
died, while hundreds more have suffered and recovered. Hospitals,
quarantine facilities, and health resources have been strained.
Global travel has been disrupted and just recently restored.
Economists are struggling to evaluate SARS’ economic
impact on China and Canada. Experts are warning of a possible
SARS epidemic in developing regions of the world, where
health care systems are not equipped to deal with rapid,
large-scale infection.
Here in the United States, we have so far
avoided having to deal with high levels of infection. But
as I said in the last hearing on this issue, while we can
try to isolate SARS patients, we can’t isolate our
nation from this disease. SARS has already made its way
across our borders in several instances, and it is crucial
that we establish best practices for identifying, treating,
and halting this illness. While we can hope for the best,
we must prepare for the worst.
Despite positive steps to deal with the virus, important
problems and questions remain unanswered. Health officials
responding to reported SARS cases need better guidance on
how best to protect their communities and the country, without
implementing measures that may be costly and excessive. For
example, they must determine an appropriate degree of screening
for hospital patients and staff, determine how best to handle
patients suspected of carrying the disease, and establish
plans in the event of a SARS outbreak involving multiple patients.
They need to know how to communicate what is happening in
their local communities to the nation’s SARS specialists.
In addition, health officials must decide how best to inform
the public about the disease without causing undue concern
or panic.
We also need to deepen our understanding of the disease
itself. We need to develop a rapid, accurate testing procedure
for SARS, determine how the disease is transmitted, and identify
high risk populations. Individuals need to know whether they
have or are likely to contract the disease. Doctors need to
be able to quickly diagnose and treat their patients. And
health officials need to know whether their communities are
at risk for high rates of infection.
I look forward to the testimony of the General Accounting
Office and the Centers for Disease Control. The American public
will be better prepared to stop future SARS cases, because
of the work of the witnesses here before us today.
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