Lessons from the past: perspectives on severe acute respiratory syndrome.
On March 12, 2003, the World Health Organization issued a global health alert stating that a new, unrecognizable, flulike disease may spread to health care workers (HCWs). We now know this illness as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). By August 2003, there were 8422 SARS cases and 916 deaths reported from 29 countries. SARS galvanized the world to the threat of emerging infectious diseases and provided a dress rehearsal for subsequent challenges such as H5N1 and H1N1 influenza. Among the insights gained were the following: SARS reminded us that health care work can be hazardous; the effects of SARS extended beyond the infection; general principles for prevention and control were effective against SARS; and SARS posed both a public health and an occupational health threat. Given these perspectives gained, we should be better prepared when faced with similar scenarios in the future.
Koh
David
D
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore. ephkohd@nus.edu.sg
Sng
J
J
D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014943:Global Health; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*