Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, commonly known as SARS, first came onto the scene in November 2002 in mainland China. The respiratory disease is characterized by fever and coughing much like flu. While at first the etiological agent was unknown, through persistent research scientists discovered it to be a coronavirus. This causative agent created history because it was the first time it has ever been found in the human population. This coronavirus raised many questions for scientists as to why the pathogen causes morbidity and mortality. (Fidler)

When a person is infected by the disease there is normally an incubation period of two to seven days. Once this time is up symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches will arise. In about 10-20 percent of cases, patients will have diarrhea. Next comes a dry cough and shortness of breath. If the person does not receive medical attention it can then develop into pneumonia. In the case that the patient does develop pneumonia, the potential risk of death is at stake. These cases are rare but very young children, people over 65, and those that have medical conditions such as diabetes and immune deficiency problems are the most susceptible.

These symptoms that are caused by SARS are what make it such an affective disease. Since viruses cannot live in the human body if it kills the organism it inhabits, is pertinent to its existence that is moves from one person to another. For this reason the virus causes symptoms such as coughing and sneezing. These means of our body ridding our self of the virus spreads the viruses to others. When a person comes into contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person they put themselves in danger of getting sick. According t...

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...e disease then they did two years ago which will allow patients to be treated faster and more efficiently for the disease.

Works Cited

Fidler, David. SARS, Governance and the Globalization of Disease. 2004. New York, New York.

Koh, Tommy Plant, Aileen Lee, Eng Hin. Severe acute respiratory syndrome and its impacts. 2003. Singapore.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/factsheet.htm. Georgia. 2003.

United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) : hearing before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, first session on examining the status of the severe acute respiratory syndrome threat. 2003. Washington D.C.

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