 |
| Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
Goals
- Rapidly
identify and isolate all potential SARS patients.
- Implement
infection control practices and contact tracing to interrupt
SARS-CoV transmission.
- Ensure
rapid communication within healthcare facilities and between
healthcare facilities and health departments.
Key
concepts
- Rapid
decision making and implementation of control strategies are
essential to limiting the spread of SARS-CoV.
- Significant
transmission of SARS-CoV occurs in hospitals and other healthcare
settings.
- Healthcare
workers, patients, and visitors can propagate and disseminate
infection within and outside healthcare facilities.
- SARS-CoV
transmission occurs primarily during u nprotected exposures
to unrecognized cases in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
- SARS-CoV
transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets
and close-contact exposures (probably including fomites).
- SARS-CoV
transmission may also occur through small-particle aerosols,
especially during aerosol-generating procedures.
- Strict
adherence to appropriate infection control practices, including
use of personal protective equipment, is very effective in
preventing transmission.
Priority
activities
- Organize
a planning committee to develop an institutional preparedness
and response plan and a clear decision-making structure.
- Develop
surveillance, screening, and evaluation strategies for various
levels of SARS-CoV transmission.
- Develop
plans to rapidly implement effective infection control measures
and contact-tracing procedures.
- Determine
the current availability of infrastructure and resources to
care for SARS patients and strategies for meeting increasing
demands.
- Develop
strategies to meet staffing needs for SARS patient care and
management.
- Develop
strategies to communicate with staff, patients, the health
department, and the public.
- Develop
strategies to educate staff and patients about SARS and SARS
control measures.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
