Volume 10, Number 3—March 2004
Perspective
SARS Transmission and Hospital Containment
Gowri Gopalakrishna*, Philip Choo†, Yee Sin Leo†, Boon Keng Tay‡, Yean Teng Lim§, Ali S. Khan¶1, and Chorh Chuan Tan*
Table
Key features of the outbreak in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, and National University Hospitala
| Features | Tan Tock Seng Hospital (N = 109) | Singapore General Hospital (N = 60) | National University Hospital (N = 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index case-patient |
||||
| Age (y) |
22 |
60 |
64 |
|
| Symptoms/diagnosis |
Fever, headache, cough, patchy right infiltrate |
Gastrointestinal bleeding, diabetic foot ulcer |
Fever, increasing shortness of breath, hypotension |
|
| Time from admission to isolation (d) |
6 |
10 |
1 |
|
| Healthcare workers with probable SARS (%) |
||||
| Doctors |
8 (7) |
3 (5) |
1 (10) |
|
| Nurses |
35 (32) |
21 (35) |
2 (20) |
|
| Ancillary caregiversb |
3 (3) |
6 (10) |
0 |
|
| Othersc |
3 (3) |
10 (17) |
0 |
|
| No. of superspreading events |
3 (including patient A) |
1 |
1 |
|
| Average time from onset to isolation (d) |
4.6 |
2.6 |
1 |
|
| Age (%) |
||||
| <20 y |
10 (9) |
0 (0) |
1 (10) |
|
| 20–29 y |
40 (37) |
7 (11) |
4 (40) |
|
| 30–39 y |
25 (23) |
13 (24) |
1 (10) |
|
| 40–49 y |
11 (10) |
10 (16) |
0 |
|
| 50–59 y |
15 (14) |
11 (18) |
0 |
|
| ≥60 y | 8 (7) | 19 (31) | 4 (40) | |
aSARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome.
bIncludes technicians, radiographers, and sonographers.
cIncludes ward clerks, housekeepers, porters, and healthcare attendants.
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