SARS UPDATE

To: Students, School Staff, Parents and Guardians

From: William Mindell, B.G.S., M.P.H., Director, Infectious Diseases Control Division

In the past few days, there have been several media reports about atypical pneumonia, a severe respiratory infection occurring in York Region and other parts of Canada. As part of an ongoing effort to keep York Region residents informed about this illness, we are providing you with the following updated information.

Although this illness was originally referred to as atypical pneumonia, the World Health Organization has now designated it as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). It is important for residents to be aware of the symptoms and seek medical attention if they show signs of the illness and/or have travelled to any of the countries listed below within the past two weeks.

• Sudden onset of high fever (over 38.0 degrees Celsius or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit)

• One or more of the following symptoms:
  Cough

Sore throat

Shortness of breath

Difficulty breathing

Who is at risk of developing this illness?

Those at risk include people who have recently:

• travelled to Asia, particularly mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Viet Nam or Singapore, within 10 days of symptoms starting, or

• cared for, lived with, had face-to-face contact (within 1 meter) with someone ill with this infection or had contact with the respiratory secretions of someone ill with this infection.

Should travellers returning from these areas stay home from work or school?

No. The risk of contracting SARS from travelling to these areas is very low. People who have no symptoms of illness should continue with their normal routines.

How is SARS spread?

It is believed the illness is spread via droplets from coughing and sneezing, or from direct face-to-face contact with an ill person.

Thorough handwashing is the best way to prevent the spread of illness. You should also avoid:

• direct face-to-face contact with someone ill with this disease, and

• touching Kleenex and other articles used by someone ill with this disease.

The source of this illness is unknown and appears to be easily transmitted from person to person. If you or someone in your family develops the symptoms of SARS and have one or more of the risk factors, seek medical advice as soon as possible. To discuss your concerns, please call:

• your personal physician and

• York Region Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653

For after-hours service, or service in languages other than English, call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

To view this information in Cantonese, please click here.

For the most up-to-date information on SARS, please visit the Health Canada website at: