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The last case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) worldwide was reported in a laboratory worker
in China in May 2004. No cases have been reported since
then, although all hospitals maintain surveillance
on all cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
SARS is a respiratory illness. The main symptoms include
fever, dry cough, shortness of breath or breathing
difficulties. People can also experience headache,
muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue and diarrhea.
SARS is spread by close contact with an ill person
(i.e. sharing the same living space or coming within
three feet of an infected person), the same way a cold
is spread. You can protect yourself from SARS the same
way you protect yourself from the common cold - with
good hygiene practices, including:
- frequent hand-washing - use plain soap and warm
water for at least twenty seconds, or waterless hand
rinses (alcohol-based);
- immediate disposal of used tissues; and
- avoiding close contact with ill people.
More information on SARS can be found on the following
sites:
SARS and Your Health - BC HealthFiles
Contacts
BC NurseLine
BC
NurseLine provides 24-hour, confidential health
information and advice. Anywhere in the province, call
BC NurseLine to speak to a registered nurse 24-hours
or a pharmacist from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. every day. Translation
services are available in 130 languages, including
Mandarin, Cantonese and Punjabi.
| Call BC NurseLine Toll-free in
BC |
1 866 215-4700 |
| Call in Greater Vancouver |
604 215-4700 |
| Deaf/Hearing-impaired Toll-free
in BC (TTY) |
1 866 889-4700 |
| When you call, you
will be asked for your Personal Health Number
on your BC CareCard. |
Health Canada SARS Information
For general inquiries about SARS, call Health Canada's
SARS information line at
1 800 454-8302. The line is
open 8 AM to 8 PM EST, Monday to Friday.
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