SARS-like Virus
By Dr. Elvie Victonette B. Razon-Gonzalez
Pinangangambahan ngayon ang pagkalat ng isang virus na malaki ang pagkakahawig sa sakit na Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) na kumitil ng humigit kumulang na 800 na buhay noong 2003 sa buong mundo. Sariwa pa ang alaala ng SARS na naging sanhi ng malawakang pagkalat nito sa Asya at Middle East kung kaya’t ganoon na lang ang pagmamatiyag ng mga duktor at health practitioners ngayon.
Ang tinutukoy kong sakit ay tinatawag na SARS-like virus, isang uri ng bagong virus, ang novel coronavirus o nCoV na kabilang naman sa family coronavirus.
Simula noong isang taon, labing-walo na ang namamatay sa virus na ito. Karamihan pa sa mga kaso ay nanggaling sa Saudi Arabia kung saan ay 30 tao na ang kumpirmadong nagkaroon ng virus na ito. Bukod sa Saudi Arabia, naiulat din ito sa Jordan, Qatar at ibang bahagi ng Europa katulad ng France, Germany at United Kingdom.
Ayon sa Center for Disease Control (CDC), ang mga simtomas nito ay sipon, lagnat, ubo na maaring mauwi sa pulmonya at kidney failure. Sa kasamaang-palad, hindi pa gaanong malinaw kung ano ang eksaktong criteria upang madiagnose ang sakit na ito at wala pang nadidiskubreng gamot o lunas dito. Hindi pa rin natutukoy kung paano ito maiwasan.
Sinusupetsang ang pagkalat nito ay sa pamamagitan ng close contact o human to human transmission bagama’t hindi pa talaga natutukoy kung paano ito eksaktong kumakalat. Napansin ding kadalasan sa mga pasyenteng nagkaroon nito ay lalaki, may edad at may taglay na ibang sakit.
Sa ngayon ay wala pang travel advisory galing sa WHO at CDC subalit kinakailangan maging vigilant ng ating mga kababayang OFW sa Middle East lalo na kung sila ay nakararanas ng mga simtomas na nabanggit. Wag mag-atubili. Kumonsulta agad sa kahit sinong duktor kung kinakailangan.
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.
