- In full:
- severe acute respiratory syndrome
- Key People:
- Sheela Basrur
- On the Web:
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Oct. 30, 2026)
SARS
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What is SARS?
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a contagious respiratory illness characterized by a fever, headache, and body discomfort, followed by a dry cough and breathing difficulties.
SARS is caused by a coronavirus, which is transmitted through bodily secretions (usually expelled droplets) from an infected person. After an incubation period of about a week, the illness manifests with a fever exceeding 100.4 °F (38 °C), accompanied by aches and a dry cough. In severe cases, respiratory distress may necessitate mechanical ventilation.
There is no specific medication for SARS; treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms. Patients are quarantined, and strict hygiene is crucial for those in close contact.
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What does SARS do to the human body?
SARS, a highly contagious respiratory illness, starts with a fever, headache, and overall discomfort, followed by a dry cough that can lead to breathing difficulties. The virus spreads through bodily secretions, typically via droplets from coughs or sneezes.
After about a week of incubation, the illness manifests with a fever exceeding 100.4 °F (38 °C). Aches and discomfort are common, and a dry cough soon develops. In some cases, respiratory distress can worsen to the point of needing mechanical ventilation. Moreover, survivors of similar infections have experienced long-term psychological stress, fatigue, and altered consciousness.
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How does SARS spread between people?
SARS spreads through bodily secretions, mainly via droplets from coughing or sneezing by an infected person. The virus, a type of coronavirus, incubates for about a week before symptoms like fever (above 100.4 °F) and a dry cough appear.
Because there is no specific medication, treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms. To prevent further spread, infected individuals should be quarantined, and those in close contact with them must adhere to strict hygiene practices. A patient is considered noninfectious ten days after their fever subsides.
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What are common symptoms of SARS?
SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is a contagious respiratory illness with symptoms that typically begin with a persistent fever above 100.4 °F (38 °C), often accompanied by headache and general bodily discomfort. A dry cough usually develops soon after the fever appears, and in some cases, this progresses to severe breathing difficulties requiring mechanical ventilation.
The SARS coronavirus spreads through droplets from coughs or sneezes. Diagnosis involves excluding other illnesses like pneumonia or influenza and confirming potential exposure to an infected individual. Treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms, as there is no specific medication for the virus. Patients are quarantined to prevent further spread, and strict hygiene practices are essential for those in close contact with them.
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How was the SARS outbreak controlled?
The SARS outbreak was controlled through strict measures implemented by health authorities worldwide. These included travel prohibitions to and from affected countries and quarantines of hospitals and other places where infected individuals were identified. In major Asian cities, schools and public buildings were closed to prevent the spread of infection, and citizens avoided public places. These strict control measures effectively contained the contagion by June 2003, leading to the easing of restrictions.
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What impact did SARS have on global health policies?
The SARS outbreak in 2003 prompted significant changes in global health policies, most notably through the World Health Organization (WHO). After the emergence of SARS in China and its rapid spread internationally, the WHO played a crucial role in coordinating the global response by providing guidance and support to affected countries. Health policies implemented included strict control measures, travel restrictions, and quarantines. The WHO also keeps member countries informed of the latest developments in disease prevention, control of drug addiction, vaccine use, and health hazards of chemicals and other substances.
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SARS, highly contagious respiratory illness characterized by a persistent fever, headache, and bodily discomfort, followed by a dry cough that may progress to great difficulty in breathing. SARS appeared in November 2002 in Guangdong province, China, where it was first diagnosed as an atypical pneumonia. From Guangdong it was brought by an infected doctor to the important business centre of Hong Kong, and from Hong Kong it was quickly spread by global travelers throughout East Asia, to North America, and to Europe and the rest of the world. The most notable affected group was health-care workers infected before SARS was officially identified as a distinct disease threat by the World Health Organization in March 2003. By the end of May more than 8,000 cases, most of them in mainland China and Hong Kong, had been reported, and some 800 people had died from the disease. Near-panic conditions gripped major Asian cities from Singapore to Beijing, with many schools and public buildings closing and citizens avoiding places where infection might spread. Health authorities around the world instituted strict control measures, including prohibitions on travel to and from affected countries as well as quarantines of hospitals and other places where persons were found to be infected. By June 2003 the contagion had been controlled to the point where restrictions were eased.
SARS is caused by a coronavirus, a type of virus usually associated with pneumonia and the common cold. The virus is named for the appearance in electron-microscope images of a halolike corona, or crown, around its surface. SARS coronavirus jumped to humans from an animal reservoir, believed to be horseshoe bats. The ability of the SARS coronavirus to jump to humans undoubtedly required genetic changes in the virus. These changes are suspected to have occurred in the palm civet since the SARS virus present in horseshoe bats is unable to infect humans directly.
Among humans the virus is transmitted from an infected person through bodily secretions, usually droplets expelled by sneezing or coughing. After the virus incubates for approximately one week, the illness appears with a fever that remains above 38 °C (100.4 °F). Aches and discomfort frequently accompany the fever, and soon a dry cough appears. In a minority of patients, respiratory distress progresses to the point where mechanical ventilation is necessary. Diagnosis of SARS is made after other illnesses such as pneumonia or influenza are ruled out and a history of the patient’s movements has established the likelihood of exposure to an infected person. Since no specific medication is available against the SARS coronavirus, treatment is usually restricted to easing the patient’s symptoms until the illness has run its course. A SARS patient is either quarantined or advised to remain isolated, and all persons such as hospital workers or family members who come into close contact with a patient must follow strict routines of cleanliness. The patient is considered to be noninfectious 10 days after the fever subsides. Researchers have yet to establish the long-term prospects of recovered patients or the potential for recurrent epidemics, and a specific vaccine has not been developed.
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