ginl
ALPHA
Apr 12, 2003, 9:11 PM
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Prevention of SARS - advice from Hong Kong
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Hey guys, just wanted to share this with u...my ex-boss sent this to me, it's frm his high school mate who's a doctor in HK at the moment :
Dear All,
Probably you all have read about these preventive measures for SARS in Malaysia. I would like to share with you the following advice that I give to my patients and the measures that my family and I are taking to reduce the chance of getting SARS.
First of all, a few notes about the Coronavirus that cause the SARS. Evidence so far showed that the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets (“mouth water” “nose water”) and direct contact with an infected person’s secretions and subsequently inoculation into mucous membranes e.g. conjunctiva (eye, oral mucosa (mouth). The virus will stay in the environment for 2-6 hours.
The recommended infection control measures is therefore, droplets precautions (e.g. talk less!) with emphasis on the use of barrier apparels (face mask and eye protection e.g. wearing glasses or goggles) and environmental cleaning.
Preventive Measures:
Build up good body immunity. This means taking a proper diet, having regular exercise and adequate rest, reducing stress and avoiding smoking ( e.g. work only 2-3days per week like Hong Eng!)
Maintain good personal hygiene. Cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing
Keep hands clean and wash hands properly. Use liquid soap for hand washing and disposable towel for drying hands
Wash hands when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions e.g. after sneezing
Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth. If necessary, wash hands before touching them
Do not share towels
Use serving utensils at meal times
Keep home environment clean. Wipe furniture (including telephone) regularly (at least once a day) with a piece of towel soaked with diluted household bleach (i.e. adding 1 part of household bleach to 99 parts of water), and then wipe with a piece of towel soaked with water
Maintain good indoor ventilation
Avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation (Too late to advice those Klang/KL gang to cancel your get together meeting, I guess!)
· Dispose of used tissue paper properly
· 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
Should I wear a Face mask ?
Wearing facemask properly offers satisfactory protection against respiratory tract infections. People with respiratory symptoms and those who have close contact with confirmed cases of atypical pneumonia should wear a facemask to reduce the chance of spread of infection. Their carers and those visiting sick people in hospitals should also wear a facemask. The general public may wear a facemask for self protection especially in crowded places.
Points to note:
Wash hands before wearing a facemask.
Follow the instructions on the packet carefully, if available.
In general, when wearing a surgical facemask, the following should be noted:
The facemask should fit snugly over the face.
The coloured side of the facemask should face outside.
Tie all the strings that keep the facemask in place or fix the rubber bands of the facemask round the ears properly.
The facemask should fully cover the nose, mouth as well as the chin.
The metallic wire part of the facemask should be fixed securely over the bridge of the nose to prevent leakage.
Under general circumstances, the surgical mask should be changed daily
Put the facemask into a plastic bag and tie it properly before putting it into a rubbish bin.
Replace the facemask immediately if it is damaged or soiled.
Wearing a facemask is just one of the ways to prevent respiratory tract infections. The most important thing a person should do is to observe good personal hygiene. For example, wash hands frequently with liquid soap, especially after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose.
Do I have SARS?
Nearly all the SARS patients have fever, chills, headache and muscle aches (myalgia in medical term!). Some might have cough (usually dry cough), sore throat and diarrhea. Usual time to develop all these symptoms is between 2 to 10 days after contact with an infected persons. See your doctor early if you think you have SARS. Our experience in Hong Kong showed that those who died of SARS are either seek medical attention too late or old people with medical problems. The cure rate is near 100% if you are young (below 50’s) and seek medical treatment early.
The above measures will reduce your chance from getting SARS but not totally prevent it. So just “pray”, my friends.
Lastly I hope the Malaysian Government will not preventing me from going back home to attend our gathering in December.
Good luck!
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