Briefing on

1

• Briefing on
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

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What is SARS?

• SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a
  new form of atypical pneumonia
• The exact cause has not yet been determined
• Scientists think the cause is most likely a
  previously unknown strain of corona virus

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What are the symptoms of SARS?

• Sudden onset of high fever (gt38?C) associated
  with chills, body aches
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath or breathing difficulty

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How is SARS spread?

• By respiratory secretions when a person comes
  into close contact with a SARS-infected person
• Close contact means
• having cared for or lived with a SARS patient
• having had direct contact with respiratory
  secretions or body fluids of a person infected
  with SARS

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How contagious is SARS?

• It appears that SARS becomes infectious only
  after the infected person develops symptoms, e.g.
  sudden onset of high fever
• A person is not infectious during the incubation
  period (about 3 to 10 days)

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Is there any vaccine against SARS?

• No known vaccine available yet

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What are SARS-affected areas?

• Areas identified by World Health Organisation
  (WHO) to have reported cases of SARS
• SARS-affected areas include
• Hong Kong
• Guangdong
• Shanxi
• Taiwan
• Hanoi
• Toronto

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What has Singapore done to prevent the spread of
SARS?

• Upon detection of SARS cases, the Government took
  immediate measures to minimise its spread
• These measures include
• Isolating SARS patients in Tan Tock Seng Hospital
• Providing information on SARS to the public
• Issuing Home Quarantine Orders
• Screening of travellers from SARS-affected areas
• Transferring SARS suspects directly to Tan Tock
  Seng Hospital by ambulance

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What is the Home Quarantine Order?

• It is an order issued to a person who was exposed
  to or has come into contact with SARS patients
• It requires the person to stay at home
• It is a precautionary measure to help contain the
  spread of SARS by isolating that person as early
  as possible
• This order is lifted after 10 days if the person
  remains well with no SARS symptoms

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People from SARS-affected areas are still
travelling to Singapore. How does Singapore
manage this?

• Travellers from SARS-affected areas are screened.
  Those with SARS-like symptoms are separated from
  other passengers and sent direct to Tan Tock Seng
  Hospital immediately

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What have schools done to prevent the spread of
SARS?

• Students who were ill or with SARS-like symptoms
  were advised to stay away from school when school
  started on 24 Mar 2003
• Teachers were instructed to be vigilant in
  identifying students with SARS-like symptoms
  those identified were be isolated and parents
  notified and sent home immediately

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Why were schools closed?

• Schools were closed primarily to address the
  concerns of parents
• On purely medical grounds, there were no strong
  reasons for closing all schools

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Why are schools re-opening now?

• Schools cannot be closed indefinitely
• Control measures have been put in place
• With better information about SARS, our students
  can be better informed on how they can continue
  to stay healthy
• A set of safety measures has been put in place
  for schools to monitor the situation and to take
  appropriate action

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What are my civic and personal responsibilities?

• Staying clear of SARS-affected areas
• Adopting good health habits
• Practising good personal hygiene

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Stay Clear of SARS-Affected Areas

• Heed the Ministry of Healths travel advisory. Do
  not travel to SARS-affected areas
• Hong Kong
• Guangdong
• Shanxi
• Taiwan
• Hanoi
• Toronto

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Adopt Good Health Habits

• Adopt a healthy lifestyle
• Build up body resistance by having a proper
  diet, adequate rest and regular exercise
• If unwell
• Do not come to school
• See a doctor immediately

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Practise Good Personal Hygiene

• Do not share personal items
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water
• Do not rub eyes, touch nose or mouth with hands
  before washing them
• Do not handle food / drinks before washing hands
• Cover the nose and mouth with tissue paper when
  sneezing or coughing do not sneeze or cough
  directly into another person
• Avoid going to crowded places unnecessarily

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If I have travelled to a SARS-affected country,
what should I do?

• Inform your teachers
• Monitor your health closely
• If you develop any SARS-like symptoms, go
  immediately to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Accident
  Emergency department to be checked and assessed
  by a medical officer

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What should I do if I feel unwell while in school?

• Alert teachers immediately
• Contact parents
• Consult a doctor promptly

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Where can I get updates on the SARS situation in
Singapore?

• Press releases in the various newspapers
• Ministry of Health (MOH)
• hotline [phone]
• website www.moh.gov.sg
• Ministry of Education (MOE)
• website www.moe.gov.sg/sars
• For further enquiries, email contact_at_moe.edu.sg

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Our Four Lines of Defence against SARS

• Measures by MOH to contain and minimise the
  spread of SARS in the community
• Measures that can be taken by students and their
  parents to safeguard themselves and those around
  them
• Measures by MOE to screen and keep our schools
  free from SARS
• Rapid response by MOE and MOH to isolate any
  cases that may slip through our first three lines
  of defence

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Everyone has a part to play to keep our
environment safe