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SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is caused by the SARS coronavirus, known as SARS CoV. Coronaviruses commonly cause infections in both humans and animals.
According to NHS, there have been 2 self-limiting SARS outbreaks, which resulted in a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia. Both happened between 2002 and 2004.
Since 2004, there have not been any known cases of SARS reported anywhere in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to monitor countries throughout the world for any unusual disease activity. If there was another SARS outbreak, it should be possible to limit the spread of infection.
The SARS pandemic
SARS originated in China in 2002. It’s thought that a strain of the coronavirus usually only found in small mammals mutated, enabling it to infect humans.
The SARS infection quickly spread from China to other Asian countries. There were also a small number of cases in several other countries, including 4 in the UK, plus a significant outbreak in Toronto, Canada.
The SARS pandemic was eventually brought under control in July 2003, following a policy of isolating people suspected of having the condition and screening all passengers travelling by air from affected countries for signs of the infection.
During the period of infection, there were 8,098 reported cases of SARS and 774 deaths. This means the virus killed about 1 in 10 people who were infected. People over the age of 65 were particularly at risk, with over half of those who died from the infection being in this age group.
In 2004 there was another smaller SARS outbreak linked to a medical laboratory in China. It was thought to have been the result of someone coming into direct contact with a sample of the SARS virus, rather than being caused by animal-to-human or human-to-human transmission.
Viral mutations
Like all living things, viruses are constantly changing and evolving. A mutation is where the genetic information that’s stored inside an organism changes.
Many global outbreaks of infectious illnesses (pandemics) that have happened in recent history are thought to have been caused by viruses previously only found in animals. After mutating, the viruses became capable of infecting humans.
Examples of mutated viruses include:
1. SARS
2. HIV: thought to be a mutated version of a virus found in monkeys
3. bird flu (avian flu): a mutated version of a flu virus found in birds
4. swine flu: a mutated version of a flu virus thought to have originated in pigs.
How SARS is spread
SARS is an airborne virus, which means it’s spread in a similar way to colds and flu.
The SARS virus is spread in small droplets of saliva coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person. If someone else breathes in the droplets, they can become infected.
SARS can also be spread indirectly if an infected person touches surfaces such as door handles with unwashed hands. Someone who touches the same surface may also become infected.
The SARS virus may also be spread through an infected person’s poo. For example, if they do not wash their hands properly after going to the toilet, they may pass the infection on to others.
Evidence from the SARS pandemic of 2002 to 2003 showed people living with or caring for someone with a known SARS infection were most at risk of developing the infection themselves.
Content created and supplied by: Kwajaffa (via Opera
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