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“Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome” (SARS) is a mysterious atypical pneumonia disease due to one or more viruses that started in Southeast Asia in February 2003. (1) SARS appears to be a respiratory disease, spread by a corona virus. (3) It is believed that the virus jumped from animals to humans in southern China. SARS has also affected many other countries including North America and parts of Europe. (1) Many people have already died from SARS. As of April 21, 2003, there have been more than 4,000 cases of SARS and 217 deaths reported worldwide. The “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (CDC) and the “World Health Organization” (WHO) are taking the matters into their own investigations. (2) The symptoms of SARS begins with a slight fever greater than 100.4°F and my include headache, shortness of breath, low blood oxygen level and sore throat. Other possible symptoms include loss of appetite, confusion, rash, and diarrhea. After two to seven days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough and have trouble breathing. Symptoms of SARS, is less severe towards younger teens and children. They appear to suffer milder symptoms than adults and older teenagers and they may also be less infectious to other people. (1) In a study conducted by Professor Tai Fai Fok of the Department of Pediatrics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Fok studied the first ten children who received treatment for SARS during the early phase of the epidemic there. The young teens, age’s betweens 13-16, had symptoms similar to the adult cases, with muscle aches, headaches, chills, and respiratory distress.
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