Yimmy Chow, Health Protection Agency Communicable Disease
Surveillance Centre, London, England, and the editorial team (eurowkly@hpa.org.uk),
Eurosurveillance editorial office.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a consensus document on severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (1). The 35 page report summarises the international
research on the epidemiology of the SARS outbreak, representing the views
of experts in public health, epidemiology, and clinical virology. It uses
experiences from the main outbreak sites including published and unpublished
documents and information from the weekly teleconferences of the WHO ad hoc
working group on the epidemiology of SARS.
Some of the main conclusions from the report include:
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There is no evidence that SARS is an airborne disease |
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Healthcare workers were at special risk |
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The risk of transmission is greatest at around day ten of illness |
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There is no evidence that patients transmit infection ten days after
fever has resolved |
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Children are rarely affected by SARS |
The report was released at the start of four consecutive SARS meetings hosted
by WHO in Geneva, which have concentrated on the priorities for scientific
research, laboratory issues, clinical treatment protocols, and prospects
for vaccine development.
At the first of these meetings, the WHO SARS Scientific Research Advisory
Committee met to identify the most urgent areas of research into SARS, and
make preparations for the possible recurrence of the disease (2). Issues
discussed included:
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The global SARS alert system |
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Preparedness in resource-poor settings |
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Diagnosis |
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Possible evolution of the SARS coronavirus |
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Amplification in hospitals: the role of infection control |
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Laboratory biosafety |
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Control interventions |