Nine persons treated for respiratory symptoms but no SARS

To date the Health Ministry has received nine reports of patients at public health facilities displaying “respiratory symptoms” but no Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) said Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, Dr Rampersad Parasram, yesterday.

There are over 6,000 SARS cases in 29 countries around the world and over 470 deaths reported. At a media briefing two weeks ago the Ministry had investigated six cases reported in the media as suspected SARS but none of them fit the criteria for suspected or probable SARS although they displayed cough and fever. Since then, three more persons were presented with cough and cold, “pneumonia like symptoms.” One was at Port-of-Spain General Hospital, another at San Fernando General Hospital and the third at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

A major criteria in determining whether someone is a probable or suspected SARS case is travel to one of the countries which has SARS and or close contact with someone who has been to these areas. Dr Parasram said “none was exposed to anyone with SARS, none of them is regarded as a suspected case of SARS.” According to information about the epidemiology of the disease from the World Health Organisation SARS is linked to an atypical pneumonia outbreak in China’s Guandong province which began last November. Further spread was linked to a visitor from Guandong who stayed at a hotel in Hong Kong during late February whilst ill. The disease spreading in Hong Kong to Singapore, Vietnam, Canada, Ireland and United States and Germany was linked to the index case.  Symptomatic cases are highly infectious with respiratory symptoms and chest X-ray changes. Incubation period in most cases is two to ten days (although a case of up to 13 days was reported). SARS is spread through respiratory droplet and contact.