Volume 10, Number 7—July 2004
Research
Collecting Data To Assess SARS Interventions
R. Douglas Scott*
, Edward Gregg*, and Martin I. Meltzer*
, Edward Gregg*, and Martin I. Meltzer*Table
Potential calculations and policy implications from collected data
| Variablesa | Who infected whom | Monitoring of disease spread and impact of interventions |
|---|---|---|
| E, I, M, and Q | Incubation period(s) | How soon should an exposed person be identified and placed in quarantine |
| A, B, C, F, J, and N | Who infected whom | Monitoring of disease spread and impact of interventions |
| E, I, M, G, K, O, Q, H, L, and P | When and where an infectious person infects another and duration of disease | Evaluation of infectiousness at different stages of disease and development or refinement of recommendations for persons exposed to SARS |
| D, E, I, M, G, K, O, H, L, P W, X, and AF | Effect of preexisting medical conditions on risk for hospitalization and death | Evaluation of medical response, with initial medical contact and treatment based on patients' risk factors |
| D, E, I, M, G, K, O, H, L, P, W, X, Y, Z, AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, and AF | Effect of certain preexisting conditions, type of contact, and length of incubation on increased risk for hospital isolation, ventilation, and intensive care | Evaluation of medical response, with analyses of how patients' risk factors impact allocation of hospital-based resources |
| R, S, T, U, V, and W | Classification of possible SARS cases | Evaluation of medical response, with degree of certainty of SARS diagnosis impacting allocation of health care resources |
| E, I, M, F, J, N, H, L, P, Q, W, Z, and X | Effect of isolation on spread of disease | Evaluation of interventions' effect on slowing and deterring the spread of disease |
| AG and AH | Death as an outcome | Evaluation of the severity of the outbreak |
