什么是SARS?

严重急性呼吸综合征（SARS）是一种感染肺部的新型非典型肺炎。它在近期出现，并已在亚洲，北美洲及欧洲一共16个国家内被发现。

What is Sars?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is a new form of atypical pneumonia that infects the lungs. It appeared recently and has been reported in 16 countries in Asia, North America and Europe.

是什么造成的?它的症状是什么?

元凶可能是 coronavirus 冠状病毒的新变异种。它主要的症状是突然而来，超过38度的高烧。有些人也会发冷，发抖及干咳。他们或许也会感到呼吸急促或呼吸困难。

What causes it? What Are its Symptoms?

The likely culprit is a new strain of the coronavirus. The main symptoms are a sudden high fever of over 38 deg C. Some people also develop chills, shivering spells and a dry cough. They may also experience shortness of breath or breathing difficulties.

它发源于何地? 何时?

一般相信它极可能于去年11月起源于中国广东省。

Where and when did it originate?

It is suspected to have originated in Guangdong, China, last November.

它是怎么传播的?

它是通过被感染者咳嗽或打喷嚏时所产生的分泌物来传播的。传播范围大约是1公尺 。

一个被感染的人只能在 Sars 症状出现之后才能将此病毒传染给他人。目前能得到的证据显示，被感染者在2至10天潜伏期内是不会传播病毒的。

此病毒也能通过被感染者接触过的物体表面传播，一般相信此病毒能在暴露的物体表面存活三个小时。

How is it spread?

It is spread through droplet transmission when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This has a range of about 1-m.

An infected person can pass the virus only after symptoms have appeared. From the available evidence, a person is not infectious during the incubation period, which is between two and 10 days.

It is thought that transmission can also happen from touching objects that have become contaminated, as the virus is thought to be able to stay alive for three hours in exposed surfaces.

Sars可治愈吗?如果不能，何时会有治疗配方或办法?

目前没有治疗 Sars 的特效药或疫苗。

Is there a cure for Sars? If not, when will there be a cure?

There is currently no cure or vaccine for Sars.

如果不能有治愈配方, 怎么办?

许多受病毒感染而引起的疾病目前都没有治疗特效药。疾病走过一个过程,病人靠自身免疫力康复。希望的是, Sars 的疫苗能被研究成功。

What happens if there's never a cure?

Many viral diseases have no cure. The disease runs its course. The hope then is that a vaccine can be developed for Sars.

Sars 的死亡率怎么和其它疾病相比?

康复率为百分之80至90。百分之10到15的患者需要更多的治疗，包括以呼吸器帮助他们呼吸。大约百分之4到5 去世。

它不象爱滋病，让所有受害者最终都难逃一死。高达一百万人每年死于疟疾，尤其是孩子，而有更多的人死于结核病。

How does the fatality rate of Sars compare with other diseases?

Patients recover in 80 to 90 per cent of cases. In 10 to 15 per cent of cases, patients need more treatment, including a ventilator to help them breathe. About 4 to 5 per cent die.

It is not nearly as deadly as Aids, which kills all its victims. Malaria kills up to a million people every year, mostly children, while tuberculosis kills even more people.

被怀疑病例和极可能病例之间有什么区别?

被怀疑病例患者显示 Sars 症状并在前十天内到过受 Sars 影响地区，及/或接触了Sars 患者后显示 Sars 的症状。

极可能病例是被怀疑病患者胸部Ｘ光显示肺部受感染。

What's the difference between a suspected case and a probable case?

A suspected case is someone who shows the symptoms of Sars and who has developed the symptoms within 10 days of travel to a Sars-affected country and/or has had close contact with a Sars patient.

A probable case is a suspected case with a chest X-ray showing findings of lung infection.

通常什么样的人感染Sars?

感染此疾病者仍局限于

(a) 照顾 Sars 患者的医疗保健工作人员

(b) 那些与 Sars 患者有近距离接触的人(照顾，居住，或直接接触患者呼吸分泌物或身体液体，即：家庭成员) 及

(c)到过香港和广东省的人。

What sort of people have been getting Sars?

The disease is still limited mainly to:
(a) Health-care workers who have taken care of Sars patients;
(b) Those is close contact with Sars patients (which means caring for, living with, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions or bodily fluids of the patients, eg. Family members); and
(c) Travellers who have visited Hongkong and Guangdong province.

为什么许多医疗保健工作者感染了Sars ?

他们是近距离接触 Sars 患者的高风险群。早期在人们认识此疾之前，医疗保健工作者在照顾 Sars 患者时没有实施传染病控制规程。

Why has Sars hit so many health-care workers?

They fall into the high-risk group of people who have been in close contact with Sars patients. In the earlier days before the disease was known, health-care workers did not use infection-control procedures while taking care of Sars patients.

医院现在有多安全?

医院是安全的，因为所有医院都实施了改进的传染病控制规程。它们包括所有医疗保健工作者在医院病区内佩带口罩，以及每天三次测量体温，以便迅速隔离任何身体不适者。

How safe are hospitals now?

They are safe, as all health-care institutions have implemented enhanced infection-control procedures. They include wearing of masks for all health-care workers in the hospital wards, and monitoring their temperatures three times a day so that anyone who is unwell is quickly isolated.

如果有人不遵守家庭隔离,怎么办?

在传染病条规下，初犯者将被罚款高达$5,000。重犯者将被罚款高达$10,000 或六个月监禁，或两者兼施。

What happens if someone breaks home quarantine?

Under the Infectious Diseases Act, offenders can be fines up to $5,000 for the first violation and up to $10,000 of face imprisonment of up to six months, or both, for subsequent offences.

口罩对预防Sars有多大用处?

世界卫生组织推荐N95口罩为最有效。它能阻隔0.3毫米以上的微粒。外科口罩对于阻隔极小微粒并不十分有效，而纸制口罩根本无效。

How useful are masks at containing Sars?

The N95 mask is recommended by the WHO and is most effective. It is able to trap particles above 0.3 micron in size. The surgical mask is not as effective at trapping tiny particles and the paper mask is not effective at all.

公众需要佩带手套吗?

公众没有必要佩带手套。

Is there a need for the public to wear gloves?

It is not necessary for the public to wear gloves.

卫生部怎么控制在新加坡的Sars情况?

要控制新加坡的 Sars 情况，MOH 的战略是尽早查出被怀疑的或极可能感染 Sars 的人，然后隔离在 Tan Tock Seng 医院 (TTSH) 或传染性疾病中心(CDC) 。 一旦隔离，将可杜绝疾病进一步传染。

早期的发现是通过几个方式来完成。

公众被教育关于疾病的症状和他们怎么能被传染。

家庭医生，诊所，医院A&E部门以及TTSH 和CDC 已被教导如何迅速辨认 Sars 病例。

每次一名新的 Sars 患者被辨认，MOH 官员迅速执行调查追踪所有与患者有过接触的人，以便这些人可 在家执行家居隔离。

其它关键的战略是在医院执行改进的传染控制程序。

所有的 Sars 病例被集中在 TTSH 和 CDC。那里的职员都实践改进的预先警戒措施，象在为患者做高风险治疗时，佩带紧身口罩、手套、衣袍和特别的头罩。

职员每天三次测量体温，以便迅速隔离身体不适的医疗保健工作者。专门照顾 Sars 患者的职员不被允许接触其他非 Sars 病人。

到医院紧急诊所求医的病人.如发烧或被怀疑感染 Sars 将被迅速辨认并与其它病人分开处理。

为了减少从国外传入病毒，所有从受 SARS 影响区域来的飞机及轮船乘客将在抵达时接受健康调查。

由4月7日起所有从受 Sars 影响地区抵达 Changi 机场的乘客将被要求填写一份健康声明卡。从4月8日起，此规定延伸到所有由海路抵达的乘客和海员。4月9日起，这项要求概括了在 Changi  机场降落的所有班机。

What has the Ministry of Health done to contain Sars in Singapore?

To control the Sars situation in Singapore, The MOH's strategy is to detect persons with suspected or probable Sars, as early as possible and isolate then in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC). Once isolated, further transmission of the disease is cut off.

Early identification is being done through several ways.

The public is educated about the symptoms of the disease and how they can be infected.

GPs, polyclinics, A&E departments of hospitals as well as TTSH and CDC have been organised to pick up cases quickly.

Each time a new Sars patient is identified, MOH officers quickly carry out investigations to trace all those who have come into contact with them, so that these contacts can be ring-fenced through home quarantine.

Another key strategy is the implementation of enhanced infection-control measures in hospitals.

All Sars cases are concentrated in TTSH and CDC. All staff there practise enhanced precautionary measure, like wearing tight-fitting masks, gloves, gowns and special hoods when doing higher-risk procedures on patients.

Staff monitor their temperatures three times a day so that any health-care worker who becomes unwell is isolated quickly. A dedicated set if staff also takes care of the Sars patients and they do not see other non-Sars patients.

Patients who come to the emergency departments with a fever and who could be suspect Sars cases are identified quickly and managed separately from the other patients.

To reduce the number of imported cases, health screenings are done on incoming air and sea passengers from affected areas.

All passengers from Sars-affected countries disembarking at Changi Airport have been required to complete a Health Declaration Card since April 7. This was extended to all passengers and crew arriving by sea on April 8. From April 9, this requirement was extended to include passengers from all incoming flights who disembark at Changi Airport.

答案由卫生部提供

新加坡

2003年5月9日

Answers provided by the Ministry of Health

SINGAPORE

9 May 2003