Principles of Emergency Management:a public health perspective

Disaster Case Review: SARS

James Garrow08/16/2009

• Fever• Headache• Body aches• May have cough, diarrhea, respiratory

symptoms• Most progress to pneumonia

Symptoms

Outcomes

• 8,461 infected, 804 dead• 9.6% case fatality ratio worldwide• Mortality by age:• < 1% for 0 to 24 years old• 6% for 25 to 44 years old• 15% for 45 to 64 years old• > 50% for over 65 years old

• Significant economic disruption

Disease Spread

History

Toronto, Canada

SARS

•Early detection and reporting of disease is paramount•Global spread of disease can be instantaneous•Hospital surge capacity is desperately needed•Improper and inconsistent infection control practices can lengthen and worsen outbreaks