W Cape on high alert for Sars

2003-04-14 19:23

Cape Town - It was only a matter of time before the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) struck in the Western Cape said health authorities on Monday - but they were confident they would be able to handle it.

"The Western Cape Department of Health continues to be on high alert to address any possible occurrences of Sars at all ports of entry into the region," said Dr Fareed Abdullah at a media briefing on the emergency plans to be followed should the province experience an outbreak of the disease.

He said there was only "a small chance" that a confirmed case of Sars would not occur in the region.

"But the main thing in that the approach is to hit hard and hit early, rather than have a delayed response," said Abdullah at the second meeting of the Sars emergency response team.

He said the three incidents suspected of being Sars in the Western Cape were all negative, with the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency plans being tested on several occasions.

"When each case was reported, the control officer at the Airports Company of South Africa immediately alerted the port health office... contact was established with the emergency medical services and a medical practitioner was dispatched to the airport. In all three cases the reaction time was under 20 minutes."

Abdullah said the extra precautions might seem like over-reaction, but authorities would rather "err on the side of caution".

Dr Jan Taljaard, a member of the Sars emergency response team, said that suspected cases should adhere to three criteria. These were having close contact or looking after a Sars-infected person; running a fever of 38°Celsius or higher; and having one or more respiratory symptoms including a cough or difficult breathing.

Taljaard also allayed possible fears of the disease causing havoc among the country's HIV-positive population, saying that Sars, unlike the opportunistic disease tuberculosis, would not increase fatalities among the general population unless individuals were exposed to it by, for example, coming into close contact with an infected person.

"Therefore we recommend isolating a person (suspected of having Sars) in a single room and not part of the general wards," he said.

Cape Town tourism spokesperson Sheryl Ozinsky also praised the health authorities for their pro-active approach, saying that there was "no reason for potential tourists to stay away because all precautionary measures" have been taken.

A measure of the region's good work to contain and counter the Sars threat was a letter received on Monday from Air Malaysia congratulating the Cape Town airport on their handling of the situation.

A manned 24-hour office has been set up, in conjunction with a bright yellow health alert notice handed to all travellers from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, informing them of what to do in should they exhibit any Sars symptoms while in Cape Town.

The virus has infected thousands across the globe and has claimed at least 143 lives.

- SAPA