Printed below is a recent notice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The notice, dated May 8, 2003, is posted on CDC’s comprehensive SARS web site, located at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/index.htmInterim Guidelines for Personnel
Boarding Maritime Vessels from Areas with SARSThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tracking reports of outbreaks of a respiratory illness called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). CDC has issued two types of notices to travelers: advisories and alerts. A travel advisory recommends that nonessential travel be deferred; a travel alert, does not advise against travel, but informs travelers of a health concern and provides advice about specific precautions. CDC updates information on its website on the travel status of areas with SARS, as the situation evolves.
The primary way that SARS appears to spread is by close person-to-person contact. Potential ways in which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of other persons or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets and then touching the eye, nose or mouth. This can happen when someone who is sick with SARS coughs or sneezes droplets onto themselves, other persons or nearby surfaces. It is also possible that SARS can be spread more broadly through the air or by other ways that are currently not known. Preliminary studies in some research laboratories suggest that the virus may survive in the environment for several days.
As with many other infectious illnesses, one of the most important ways to prevent infection with SARS is to keep your hands clean, either by frequent washing with soap and water or by use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Detailed information about hand hygiene is available at the CDC website.
There is currently no evidence that SARS infection is spread through contact with objects or packages including those arriving from areas with SARS. Special handling of such items is not indicated; however, hand hygiene as described above is recommended for routine prevention of infections. For prevention of SARS in the workplace, the routine use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirators, gloves or surgical masks for protection against SARS exposure is currently not recommended, except when providing medical care to suspected SARS patients.
If a passenger or crew member must be detained or assisted and appears to have a respiratory illness or may have traveled from one of the areas listed above, try to keep him or her separated from the other passengers as much as possible and immediately contact the appropriate authorities and assistance such as the U.S. Quarantine Station with jurisdiction and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In the interim, provide the ill passenger with a surgical mask, if available. A surgical mask can reduce the number of droplets coughed into the air. If a surgical mask is not available, provide the passenger with tissues and ask him or her to cover his or her mouth and nose when coughing. When an ill passenger is unable to wear a surgical mask, others on board should wear surgical masks when in close contact with the patient.
Persons who develop symptoms of SARS within 10 days of being in close contact with someone with suspected SARS, or within 10 days of arriving from an area with SARS, should follow the precautions described in CDC’s exposure management guidance. Persons who have been exposed and have symptoms should not go to work, school, church or other public areas; and should seek health-care evaluation promptly. Before the evaluation, the individual should inform their health-care providers about the possible exposure to SARS so arrangements can be made to prevent the possibility of spreading the infection in the health-care setting.
CDC Removes Advisory Against Travel to SingaporeThe CDC on May 6 issued a notice which reads in part: CDC is now downgrading its traveler’s notification for Singapore from a travel advisory to a travel alert.
Reasons for removal of the advisory include the following:
- Currently, SARS transmission in Singapore is limited to a small number of households and a well defined specific community setting through direct person-to-person spread.
- The onset of symptoms of the last reported case not occurring in a defined community setting was on April 14, 2003. More than 20 days, or two SARS incubation periods, have elapsed since that date.
- Monitoring by the Ministry of Health of Singapore indicates that there are no new outbreaks of illness in Singapore, and there is adequate surveillance for SARS in place….
CDC continues to recommend that U.S. travelers to Singapore observe precautions to safeguard their health. To minimize the possibility of infection, avoid close contact with large numbers of people as much as possible. CDC does not recommend the routine use of masks or other personal protective equipment while in public areas.
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