More tests on suspected Sars man
2003-04-08 16:07
Pretoria - It should be known by Wednesday whether a South African
hospitalised with flu-like symptoms had contracted the potentially
deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), health officials
said on Tuesday.
The national virology institute, which was conducting the tests,
requested more blood samples on Tuesday, said Dr Richard Friedland,
chief operating officer of the hospital operator Netcare.
The 62-year-old Pretoria businessman was in a critical but
stable condition in the Pretoria East Hospital.
Barrier nursing
He was being
treated in a specially isolated intensive care unit behind glass
barriers to make sure there was no risk of infection to hospital
workers and other patients.
A method known as barrier nursing was being used, in terms of
which staff wore protective gloves, gowns and masks.
Five of the man's family members and a nurse who had been in
direct contact with him were being monitored for symptoms of the
disease - which has reportedly claimed about 100 lives around the
world.
Friedland said the man was immediately isolated after reporting
to the hospital on Monday.
The man returned to South Africa on March 27 from a business
trip to Hong Kong. He took ill on Monday, and went to the Pretoria
East Hospital casualty centre.
He had flu-like symptoms, a high fever and shortness of breath.
His symptoms were immediately recognised by hospital staff as being
similar to those of Sars.
More than 2 500 people infected world wide
The disease, also described as atypical pneumonia, has infected
more than 2 500 people in 30 countries.
It originated in southern China in November, and has since
spread through the world by air travellers.
No confirmed cases of Sars have been reported in Africa.
The health department said in a statement people who had come
into contact with the man were being traced to establish if they
too displayed symptoms of Sars.
"This serves a dual purpose: early care in the event of any of
them becoming ill and containment of further transmission."
Response teams being strenghtened
The department said outbreak response teams were being
strengthened at national level and in Gauteng - the province
receiving the most traffic from areas in Asia affected by the
disease.
These teams would review whether steps already in place at South
African airports were adequate.
Passengers arriving from Sars affected destinations were
informed of the symptoms and told how to respond should they become
ill within a fortnight of their return.
"Several patients have become ill and been tested, but all, so
far, have tested negative and recovered."
There was ongoing communication with hospitals to ensure their
infection control teams were able to react appropriately to
suspected Sars cases, the department said.
With passengers coming into South Africa daily from affected
destinations, there was a possibility the country could see a small
number of "imported" Sars cases, the department said.
But it should be possible to ensure no further infection
occurred locally.
"There is no reason at this point to view Sars as a threat to
our population at large," the department said.
It advised citizens intending to travel to Hong Kong or China's
Guangdong province to do so only if they were unable to postpone or
cancel their visits.
Flu vaccine
Meanwhile, MedInfo advised all travellers to have themselves
vaccinated against influenza, even though it could not prevent Sars
infection.
"People vaccinated against flu are not likely to develop flu
symptoms. As a result, the likelihood of a Sars false alarm will be
reduced, averting the need to spend time in isolation
unnecessarily."
- SAPA