SARS

Signs and Symptoms:

 Fever
 Headache
 Muscle aches
 Less common symptoms include:
 Cough that produces phlegm (sputum)
 Diarrhea
Dizziness
 Nausea and vomiting
 Runny nose
Sore throat
 In some people, the lung symptoms get worse during the second week of illness, even
after the fever has stopped.
Exams and Tests:
a. Arterial blood tests
b. Blood clotting tests
c. Blood chemistry tests
d. Chest x-ray or chest CT scan
e. Complete blood count (CBC)
Tests used to quickly identify the virus that causes SARS include:
a. Antibody tests for SARS
b. Direct isolation of the SARS virus
c. Rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS virus

Treatment:
People who are thought to have SARS should be checked right away by a provider. If they are
suspected of having SARS, they should be kept isolated in the hospital.
Treatment may include:
a. Antibiotics to treat bacteria that cause pneumonia (until bacterial pneumonia is ruled out
or if there is bacterial pneumonia in addition to SARS)
b. Antiviral medicines (although how well they work for SARS is unknown)
c. High doses of steroids to reduce swelling in the lungs (it is not known how well they
work)
d. Oxygen, breathing support (mechanical ventilation), or chest thera
 In some serious cases, the liquid part of blood from people who have already recovered
from
SARS has been given as a
treatment.
There is no strong evidence that these treatments work well. There is evidence that the
antiviral medicine, ribavirin, does not work.