SARS at OFW
By Dr. Elvie Victonette B. Razon-Gonzalez
Balita ngayon na kumakalat sa Middle East ang isang sakit na malaki ang pagkakatulad sa Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), ang SARS-like virus. Bilang overseas health worker(OFW), mahalagang maging alerto ka sa mga sakit na kumakalat upang magkaroon ng sapat na proteksiyon laban dito.
Ang unang bahagi ng aking artikulo ay tungkol sa SARS na unang naiulat noong Pebrero 2003. Ang SARS ay galing sa isang uri ng virus, ang SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Noong 2003, kumalat ito sa iba’t ibang bansa. Ayon sa World Health Organization (WHO), humigit-kumulang na 8,098 ang naitalang nagkaroon ng SARS.
Ang mga simtomas ng SARS ay lagnat (temperaturang mas mataas sa 38.0°C) at respiratory symptoms tulad ng ubo, kapos o hirap sa paghinga. Ang iba pang simtomas ay headache, trangkaso, at pananakit ng iba’t ibang bahagi ng katawan. Ayon sa Center for Disease Control (CDC), naikakalat ang SARS sa pamamagitan ng close person-to-person contact (paghalik, pagyakap, paghawak ng kamay, o pagshare ng pagkain o kubyertos). Maari rin itong makuha sa pamamagitan ng respiratory droplets na nakukuha naman sa pag-ubo o paghatsing ng isang taong may SARS na may distansiyang 3 feet. Ang isa pang paraan ng pagkahawa ay paghawak sa isang bagay o surface na mayroong infected droplets.
Maiiwasan ang SARS sa pamamagitan ng pagsuot ng mask at palagiang hand washing gamit ang sabon at tubig. Kung ikaw o ang iyong mga kasama sa trabaho ay nakararanas ng kahit anong simtomas na nakasaad dito, ipagbigay-alam agad sa mga awtoridad (konsul o local government office) at kumonsulta sa duktor (espesyalista sa Family Medicine, Internal Medicine o Infectious Disease specialist).
Sa ngayon ay wala pa namang travel advisory mula sa WHO at CDC kung mayroong outbreakng SARS na nagaganap.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
A very fatal and contagious disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, is one of the worst epidemics in the twentieth century. It causes respiratory distress that can lead to death.
Causes
A virus called coronavirus causes SARS. Viruses of the common cold are also from this family of virus. The infection is said to be a more serious form of pneumonia. By spreading droplets through sneezing, talking or coughing, SARS is communicated to another person’s respiratory system where it starts causing the damage to a person’s health.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of SARS often include generalized ones which manifest as elevated body temperature, body malaise, headache, diarrhea, dry cough. These are the early signs and symptoms that develop within a week’s time. Then a serious complication which is pneumonia is the big challenge of SARS. Eventually, other severe conditions follow like heart failure, respiratory failure, etc.
Treatment
Getting afflicted with SARS is like acquiring yourself a bad cold. How you treat colds is the basic in treating SARS. This includes the reduction of fever and taking medications indicated for cough. To prevent the spread of infection, proper hygiene, like frequent hand washing, refraining from manipulating the nose and mouth, and covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing should be observed.
