Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

About Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

A respiratory illness that first infected people in parts of Asia, North America, and Europe in late 2002 and early 2003. SARS is caused by a type of coronavirus, in the same family of viruses that cause the common cold. The SARS virus is known as SARS-CoV. The virus is thought to be transmitted by respiratory droplets (droplet spread) produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. SARS can be fatal.

Symptoms

Fever, cough, difficulty breathing, shaking chills, muscle aches, headache.

Tests & Diagnostics

A history and physical exam will be performed. SARS can be diagnosed by identifying the DNA of the virus from a nasal swab, by detecting antibodies to the virus in the blood, and/or through a viral culture. Other tests will be done to evaluate the severity of the disease.

Common tests: Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Urinalysis (UA), X-ray.

Conventional treatment summary

Patients suspected of having SARS should be treated aggressively, and options may include: supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluids, and hospitalization under isolation. Other treatments that may be administered but have no strong evidence they work include: antibiotics (for possible coexisting pneumonia), antiviral medications, steroids, and serum from people who have recovered from SARS.

Medical specialties

Infectious Disease Medicine

This page is educational content, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).