What to do if you think you may have SARS

---

1. You have traveled from or transited through a SARS-affected area*
2. You have been a close contact of a person with respiratory illness who has traveled in an affected area* or a person who is a suspect SARS case
3. You have been a health care worker caring for a person with SARS.

If you fit one of the above criteria, you should closely monitor your health for 10 days after the possible exposure.  As long as you remain well, there is no need at the current time to limit activities.

If you develop:

1. fever of greater than 38 C or 100.4 F,  OR b.  respiratory symptoms you should:

1. limit interactions outside the home and should not go to work, school, out-of-home child care, church, or other public areas.
2. use infection control measures in the home http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ic-closecontacts.htm
3. call your health care provider and inform them that you are concerned that you may have SARS
4. if you come to the health care provider for evaluation, call first to inform the health care facility that you are coming, wear a mask or mouth covering, and immediately inform personnel at the health care facility when you arrive that you are concerned that you might have SARS.  You should be placed in an isolation area until your condition has been assessed.

If, at the end of 72 hours, you have NOT developed both a fever AND respiratory symptoms, it is extremely unlikely that you have SARS and you may resume regular activities and discontinue infection control measures.

If, however, over the next 72 hours, you develop BOTH fever greater than 100.4 F AND respiratory symptoms, you should consider yourself a suspect SARS case and should report your condition to your health care provider immediately.  Whether or not you are admitted to the hospital, you should continue infection control measures until 10 days after the fever resolves AND respiratory symptoms are improving.

*SARS-affected areas include Peoples' Republic of China (i.e., mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region); Hanoi, Vietnam; and Singapore.  Travel includes transiting through airports in these areas.

Adapted from CDC’s Interim Domestic Guidance on Persons Who May Have Been Exposed to Patients with Suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) (April 13, 2003, 2:30 PM ET)

Tulane Center for Infectious Diseases 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-71 | New Orleans, LA 70112-2699 | Phone: (504) 584-2663 Fax (504) 988-6686 | Email: center.infecdis@tulane.edu