Frequently
Asked Questions
(Also See - Preventive Measures For You,
Q.
1 What are the signs and
symptoms of SARS?
|
· |
High
fever
(>38oC) AND |
|
· |
One
or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath,
difficulty breathing AND |
|
· |
Close
contact*
with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS in past 10 days |
|
In
addition to fever and respiratory symptoms, SARS may be associated with
other symptoms including: headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite,
malaise, confusion, rash, and diarrhea. |
|
* |
close
contact
means
i) having cared for or
ii) having lived with, or
iii) having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids
of a person with SARS. |
|
|
Definitive
diagnosis of probable SARS – pneumonia changes need to be present |
Q.2
If I were exposed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), how long
would it take for me to become sick?
Initial
information from the investigations in Hong Kong and Hanoi indicates that the
incubation period for SARS is between 2 and 7 days on average with a peak at 3
to 5 days. Exceptional cases with up to 10 days have also been reported.
Q.3
How contagious is SARS
Based
on currently available evidence, close contact with an infected person is needed
for the infective agent to spread from one person to another. Close
contact appears to be required. Close contact with aerosolized droplets
and bodily secretions from an infected person appears to be important.
Q.4
Can SARS be transmitted in schools, other public settings or contact with
an inanimate object?
What
has been seen so far is a pattern of droplet transmission related to direct
close contact with a person with SARS. In areas where person-to-person
transmission has been documented, cases have occurred almost exclusively in
health care workers or in persons in very close contact with patients, such as
family members.
Fail
to wash hand after contact with freshly soiled inanimate objects such as hand
railings, lift buttons, door knobs and handles followed by touching of the
mucosal membrane of ones nose, eyes or mouth has been cited as possible mode of
indirect transmission recently.
Q.5
What should I do if I think I have SARS?
If
you are ill with a fever of over 100.4 °F [>38.0°C] that is accompanied by
a cough or difficulty breathing, or that progresses to a cough and/or difficulty
breathing, you should consult a doctor. To help your doctor make a
diagnosis, tell them about any recent travel to regions where cases of SARS have
been reported and whether you were in contact with someone who had these
symptoms.
Q.6
How to prevent SARS if I am working in the office setting?
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
· |
Maintain
good personal hygiene. |
|
· |
Cover
nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing |
|
· |
Wash
hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose |
|
· |
Consult
your doctor promptly if you develop fever/respiratory symptoms (see Q. 1) |
|
· |
Dispose
of used tissue paper properly |
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands first |
|
· |
Maintain
good indoor ventilation by opening windows from time to time. |
Q.7
How to prevent SARS if I am a teacher?
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
· |
Ask
your students to wear mask also if they present similar infection
symptoms. |
|
· |
Advise
your students to consult a doctor if they have symptoms of respiratory
infection |
|
· |
Maintain
good personal hygiene. Cover nose and mouth when sneezing or
coughing |
|
· |
Wash
hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose |
|
· |
Consult
your doctor promptly if you develop fever/respiratory symptoms |
|
· |
Dispose
of used tissue paper properly |
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands first |
|
· |
Maintain
good indoor ventilation by opening windows from time to time. |
Q.8
How to prevent SARS if I am a student?
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
|
· |
Ask
your classmates to wear mask also if they present similar infection
symptoms. |
|
|
· |
Advise
your classmates to consult a doctor if they have symptoms of respiratory
infection |
|
|
· |
Maintain
good personal hygiene. Cover nose and mouth when sneezing or
coughing |
|
|
· |
Wash
hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose |
|
|
· |
Consult
your doctor promptly if you develop fever/respiratory symptoms |
|
|
· |
Dispose
of used tissue paper properly |
|
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands |
|
|
· |
Maintain
good indoor ventilation by opening windows from time to time. |
|
Q.
9 How to prevent SARS if I work
in public places?
Workers
in public places should take the following precautionary measures to reduce the
chance of infection:
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
· |
Maintain
good personal hygiene. Cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing |
|
· |
Wash
hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose |
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands first |
|
· |
Consult
your doctor promptly if you develop fever/respiratory symptoms |
|
· |
Maintain
good indoor ventilation by opening windows from time to time. |
|
· |
If the
facilities are mechanically ventilated, ensure frequent air exchanges and
proper maintenance and cleansing of the system |
|
· |
Ensure
that toilet flushing apparatus is functioning properly |
|
· |
Provide
toilets with liquid soap and disposable tissue towels or hand dryers |
|
· |
Cleanse
and disinfect the facilities (including furniture and toilet facilities)
regularly (at least once a day), using diluted household bleach (i.e.
adding 1 part of household bleach to 99 parts of water), rinse with water
and then mop dry |
|
· |
If the
facilities are contaminated with vomitus, wash / wipe with diluted
domestic bleach (mixing 1 part of bleach with 49 parts of water)
immediately. |
|
|
|
Q.10
What can I do if I am a driver?
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
· |
Maintain
good personal hygiene, and wash hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning
the nose |
|
· |
Wash
hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose |
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands first |
|
· |
Consult
their doctor promptly if they develop fever/respiratory symptoms |
|
· |
Maintain
good ventilation |
|
· |
Plenty
of fresh air should be introduced into the vehicle compartment and station
facilities |
|
· |
If the
facilities are mechanically ventilated, ensure frequent air exchanges and
proper maintenance and cleansing of the system |
|
· |
Cleanse
and disinfect furniture and vehicle compartment regularly (at least once a
day), using diluted household bleach (i.e. adding 1 part of household
bleach to 99 parts of water), rinse with water and then mop dry. |
|
· |
Make
tissue paper available for passengers' use when necessary. |
|
· |
If
vehicle compartments are contaminated with vomitus, wash / wipe with
diluted domestic bleach (mixing 1 part of bleach with 49 parts of water)
immediately. |
Q.11
How to prevent SARS if I am a passenger?
|
· |
Put on
a proper protective mask if you have respiratory infection symptoms. |
|
· |
Should
not touch your nose, eyes or mouth without washing hands first |
|
· |
Observe
personal hygiene. Cover the nose and mouth with handkerchief or tissue
paper when sneezing or coughing. |
|
· |
Dispose
of used tissue paper properly. |
|
· |
Consult
the doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of fever/respiratory tract
infection. |
Q.12
Do I need to wear mask?
(Latest update from the Task Force on June 10, 2003. See Section on
Policy of Wearing Mask.)
In
view of the current SARS situation where occurrence of local community
transmission has been reduced to nil or minimum, staff and students may
choose to wear face mask or not on campus. They are advised to keep
a face mask handy if they want to wear the mask in crowded public places or
poorly ventilated places such as public transports as a precautionary measure.
However, the wearing of face masks is still required for staff and
students in some situations:
·
Those who are
visiting or working at UHS and hospitals;
·
Those who are
having respiratory infection symptoms or caring for patients with respiratory
infection symptoms;
·
Those who are food
handlers* of university canteens; and
·
Those who are
under observation as close contacts** of confirmed or suspected SARS patients.
* Food handlers include kitchen staff, waiters/waitresses
and cleaners. Members of the canteen inspection teams will advise canteen
management for further information.
** Close contacts are those who have lived with, care for confirmed or
suspected SARS patients, or those who have come into contact with the
respiratory secretions and body fluids of such patients.
Q.13 Is it safe to travel?
Hong Kong
and Beijing had been removed by WHO from its list of areas with recent local
transmission of SARS on June 23 and 24 respectively. WHO recommends that travelers need to be
aware of the development of the main symptoms and signs of SARS, and observe
good personal hygiene while being on flight and abroad. Well
persons who have no respiratory symptoms and have not been in close contact of
suspect SARS cases do not require any special measures and should be free to
carry out normal activities. Travelers
with one or more symptoms of SARS and who have a history of exposure or who have
fever or who appear acutely ill should receive medical assessment.
Sick persons are advised to postpone their trip until they have
recovered. Contacts of probable
case should not undertake travel until 10 days after the last contact assuming
they themselves remain well.
Please
also refer to the summary of WHO measures related to international travel (http://www.who.int/csr/sars/travelupdate/en/).
Q.14
What should I do if I have to take a trip outside Hong Kong?
What should I do before leaving Hong Kong and after coming back to Hong
Kong?
On 23 June 2003, WHO has removed Hong Kong from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. To prevent the re-emergence of SARS, we must continue to maintain our vigilance and take all the necessary precautionary measures as required.
The
Task Force recommends that it is better to avoid visiting SARS-infected areas /
countries as far as possible. If it
is a must to go to these places, all the necessary SARS precautionary measures
must be taken to prevent the possible infection of the virus.
To contain the spread of SARS in campus and to safeguard the health of
fellow students and staff, the Task Force would like to recommend all members of
the University to observe the following guidelines/advice:
·
Guidelines
for Students (Undergraduates and Postgraduates) and Staff Leaving Hong Kong
·
Guidelines
for All New Students (Undergraduates and Postgraduates)
·
Guidelines
for Staff and Students Travelling Abroad – Health Certification
Q.15 What preparations should I
make before I leave for an overseas summer programme?
The Task
Force recommends that all enrolled students of overseas summer programmes should
build up good body immunity and maintain good personal hygiene.
If not feeling will, they should consult a doctor immediately.
Please also refer to the Guidelines
for Students (Undergraduates and Postgraduates) and Staff Leaving Hong Kong.
Q.16 What SARS preventive
measures should I undertake if I want to organize an activity in campus?
To
minimize the risk of cross infection among participants of the activity, the
organizing unit will need to take into careful consideration the control of the
number of participants, the duration of the activity, ventilation of the venue,
hygiene control and catering arrangement, etc.
Please refer to the SARS
Prevention Guidelines on Organizing Activities in Campus for details.
Further
Q & A - Please refer to :
Department
of Health: http://www.info.gov.hk/dh/apc.htm
World
Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/sars/sarsfaq/en/
Centre
for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/faq.htm
Updated
on 27 June 2003