Health
SARS readiness questioned
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 19, 2004
A survey of about 450 infectious disease physicians revealed concerns over medical facilities' ability to safely handle patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome, according to a study in the July 1 Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Among the protective measures suggested are providing masks to emergency department patients with signs of respiratory infection, using negative air pressure rooms to contain airborne diseases and quarantining patients and health workers who have visited SARS-stricken areas.
Meanwhile the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has unveiled a third promising candidate vaccine against SARS. A single dose of the experimental vaccine administered intranasally protected monkeys against the SARS virus, according to a study in The Lancet June 26.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/07/19/hlbf0719.htm.
