Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-2003)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory infection caused by the virus called SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The first time this zoonotic disease was reported was in 2003 in China. The virus spread from small mammals to people, quickly reaching global proportions, though the outbreak was eventually contained. SARS transmission is mainly through droplets expelled by an infected person when sneezing or coughing, but it can also be transmitted by touching a contaminated surface and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. The most common initial symptoms are very similar to the flu: high fever, headache and general malaise. Sometimes there are mild respiratory symptoms and diarrhea. Over the days a dry cough may appear and eventually most people get pneumonia. As with other coronaviruses, reinfection is very common. There is no treatment for this disease, and as a prevention it is recommended to reduce contact with infected people, hand hygiene, and cover the mouth and nose when sneezing and cough. The diagnosis of SARS is carried out through diagnostic tests such as ELISA, immunofluorescence or PCR.

Although it is a disease of worldwide distribution, it has a special incidence in some regions of Southeast Asia. The mortality of the disease is 3-4%, and around 10% develop severe symptoms with respiratory failure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 8,000 people worldwide contracted SARS in the 2003 outbreak, and 774 people died.