Quarantine for SARS, Taiwan.
During the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Taiwan, >150,000 persons were quarantined, 24 of whom were later found to have laboratory-confirmed SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection. Since no evidence exists that SARS-CoV is infective before the onset of symptoms and the quarantined persons were exposed but not symptomatic, we thought the quarantine's effectiveness should be investigated. Using the Taiwan quarantine data, we found that the onset-to-diagnosis time of previously quarantined confirmed case-patients was significantly shortened compared to that for those who had not been quarantined. Thus, quarantine for SARS in Taiwan screened potentially infective persons for swift diagnosis and hospitalization after onset, thereby indirectly reducing infections. Full-scale quarantine measures implemented on April 28 led to a significant improvement in onset-to-diagnosis time of all SARS patients, regardless of previous quarantine status. We discuss the temporal effects of quarantine measures and other interventions on detection and isolation as well as the potential usefulness of quarantine in faster identification of persons with SARS and in improving isolation measures.
Hsieh
Ying-Hen
YH
Department of Applied Mathematics, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung, Taiwan 402. hsieh@amath.nchu.edu.tw
King
Chwan-Chuan
CC
Chen
Cathy W S
CW
Ho
Mei-Shang
MS
Lee
Jen-Yu
JY
Liu
Feng-Chi
FC
Wu
Yi-Chun
YC
JulianWu
Jiunn-Shyan
JS
D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011790:Quarantine / Q000592:standards*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors