 Return to E-Zine Archives Index |
YOUR HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE
April 2003
http://www.healthyperspective.com
-------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
--------------------------------
-SARS
- What is SARS?
-Some good news
-A practical approach
-Keep those hands clean!
-Travel
-The Immune System
-More SARS Links
-Bargains
-Don't Miss This One!
---------------------------
----------
SARS
----------
We received an email this week from a "Your Healthy Perspective" reader, asking for information on SARS preventative measures. He asked us to, "please share to save many victims...." We at HealthyPerspective.com don't hold medical degrees. We simply care about health - ours and yours. Consequently, as with any subject we tackle, we do so with prayer and care, researching and finding answers from experts in the field. Thank you, JY, for your question.
We at HealthyPerspective.com live in the United States, where, at this writing, we haven't seen a SARS death. But some of you, like reader JY, live in areas of the world where SARS is of great concern.
------------------------
What is SARS?
------------------------
The following information is WebMD public information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on frequently asked questions about SARS.
Q: "What is SARS?
A: "SARS is a respiratory illness that has recently been reported in Asia, North America, and Europe....
Q: "What are the symptoms and signs of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)?
A: "The illness usually begins with a fever (measured temperature greater than 100.4 degrees F [>38.0 degrees C]). The fever is sometimes associated with chills or other symptoms, including headache, general feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Some people also experience mild respiratory symptoms at the outset.
"After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop a dry, nonproductive cough that might be accompanied by or progress to the point where insufficient oxygen is getting to the blood. In 10% to 20% of cases, patients will require mechanical ventilation....
Q: "If I were exposed to SARS, how long would it take for me to become sick?
A: "The incubation period for SARS is typically 2-7 days; however, isolated reports have suggested an incubation period as long as 10 days. The illness usually begins with a fever (>100.4 degrees F [>38.0 degrees C]) (see signs and symptoms, above).
Q: "How is SARS spread?
A: "The principal way SARS appears to be spread is through droplet transmission; namely, when someone sick with SARS coughs or sneezes droplets into the air and someone else breathes them in. It is possible that SARS can be transmitted more broadly through the air or from objects that have become contaminated.
Q: "How long is a person with SARS infectious to others?
A: "Information to date suggests that people are most likely to be infectious when they have symptoms, such as fever or cough. However, it is not known how long before or after their symptoms begin that patients with SARS might be able to transmit the disease to others.
Q: "Who is most at risk of contracting SARS?
A: "Cases of SARS continue to be reported primarily among people who have had direct close contact with an infected person, such as those sharing a household with a SARS patient and health care workers who did not use infection control procedures while caring for a SARS patient. In the United States, there is no indication of community transmission at this time. CDC continues to monitor this situation very closely.
Q: "What is the cause of SARS?
A: "Scientists at CDC and other laboratories have detected a previously unrecognized coronavirus in patients with SARS. While the new coronavirus is still the leading hypothesis for the cause of SARS, other viruses are still under investigation as potential causes.
Q: "What are coronaviruses?
A: "Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under a microscope. These viruses are a common cause of mild to moderate upper-respiratory illness in humans and are associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver and neurologic disease in animals. Coronaviruses can survive in the environment for as long as three hours.
Q: "Is there any reason to think SARS is or is not related to terrorism?
A: "Information currently available about SARS indicates that people who appear to be most at risk are either health care workers taking care of sick people or family members or household contacts of those who are infected with SARS. That pattern of transmission is what would typically be expected in a contagious respiratory or flu-like illness.
Q: "What has CDC recommended to prevent transmission of SARS in households?
A: "CDC has developed interim infection control recommendations available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ic-closecontacts.htm for patients with suspected SARS in the household. The basic precautions outlined in this document include the following:
- Infection control precautions should be continued for SARS patients for 10 days after respiratory symptoms and fever are gone. SARS patients should limit interactions outside the home and should not go to work, school, out-of-home day care, or other public areas during the 10-day period.
- During this 10-day period, all members of the household with a SARS patient should carefully follow recommendations for hand hygiene, such as frequent hand washing or the use of alcohol-based hand rubs.
- Each patient with SARS should cover his or her mouth and nose with a tissue before sneezing or coughing. If possible, a person recovering from SARS should wear a surgical mask during close contact with uninfected persons. If the patient is unable to wear a surgical mask, other people in the home should wear one when in close contact with the patient.
- Disposable gloves should be considered for any contact with body fluids from a SARS patient. However, immediately after activities involving contact with body fluids, gloves should be removed and discarded, and hands should be washed. Gloves should not be washed or reused, and are not intended to replace proper hand hygiene.
- SARS patients should avoid sharing eating utensils, towels, and bedding with other members of the household, although these items can be used by others after routine cleaning, such as washing or laundering with soap and hot water.
- Common household cleaners are sufficient for disinfecting toilets, sinks, and other surfaces touched by patients with SARS, but the cleaners must be used frequently.
- Other members of the household need not restrict their outside activities unless they develop symptoms of SARS, such as a fever or respiratory illness."
Click here to read the entire article, with additional questions and answers.
You may also read the CDC case definition of SARS by clicking here.
--------------------------
Some Good News
--------------------------
According to a Reuters Health news report dated April 25, a leading British virologist offers his view that the SARS virus is not "infectious enough to cause a world pandemic." The article continues:
"'This virus is not highly infectious. It is a plodder like mumps, not a greyhound like measles,' said John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine in London.
"'With a 'greyhound' virus, escaping infection was very difficult. But with 'plodder' viruses, someone could walk 100 times into the same room as an infected person and still not be infected.'"
Click here to read this full article.
-----------------------------
A Practical Approach
-----------------------------
Now that we know a little bit about this disease, we can formulate some logical ideas. It's pretty obvious that even the experts don't have all the answers. But we can look at what they DO know, and help ourselves with some common-sense preventive measures.
As we read in the FAQ's above, the SARS virus is spread primarily through "droplet transmission" (when someone coughs or sneezes and their "droplets" are inhaled by another). Our defenses against this mode of transmission would include strengthening our immune system, avoiding crowds, avoiding travel to places of known contamination (and perhaps wearing a face mask where travel is necessary), and good hygiene practices (especially hand washing).
--------------------------------------
Keep Those Hands Clean!
--------------------------------------
Scientists tell us that frequent hand washing is at the top of the list for disease prevention in general, and the SARS virus seems to be no exception.
Most viruses can only live outside their "host" (a live body or bodily fluids) for very brief time periods. But it looks like this one can live on surfaces for up to three hours. This means that hand washing is more important than ever, as one could "pick up" the virus by touching a surface a contaminated person's fluids have come in contact with (perspiration, nasal secretions, etc.). Then by touching his own eyes or nostrils, he can transfer the live virus to his own system. Many diseases are transmitted in just this way.
There's a highly recommended article on hand washing at the healthyfamiliesnow.org website. Of course, we have all been washing our hands since we were toddlers, but there truly is a "correct" way to wash.
Wash your hands and wash them often, especially:
-before, during, and after food preparation,
-before eating,
-after handling animals or animal waste,
-after using the bathroom, and, of course
-whenever your hands are dirty.
You will also want to wash your hands more often when someone in your environment is sick. And the habit of washing your hands whenever you enter your home is a good one.
A liquid or clean, dry, bar of soap is recommended. We use natural products, without artificial fragrances that might cause allergy or irritation. And, according to the above mentioned article, antibacterial soaps are not only unnecessary, but are detrimental, as they lead to more resistant strains of bacteria.
In addition to frequent hand washing, you may want to make a practice of not touching or rubbing your eyes or nose with your hands - use a tissue, then dispose it promptly. This takes some getting used to, as we so often absent-mindedly take care of a little itchy nose or eye with a quick touch of a finger. But getting into the habit of grabbing a tissue instead could stop a viral or bacterial transmission.
----------
Travel
----------
Check the CDC and WHO websites for travel advisories and information.
There's an excellent article on travel and SARS at the Magellan website. Go to http://www.healthyperspective.com/magellans.html. Click on the button banner that says, "Travel is freedom. We support your right to safe travel," or the hyper-text link that says, "Safe travel begins at Magellan's." Now click on the link, under "Info Center" that says, "SARS - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome."
------------------------------
The Immune System
------------------------------
The perfect defense against illness is a healthy immune system. A good diet, rich in fresh fruits and veggies and lots of pure water, is key.
Click here for more information on strengthening your immune system.
More reading:
"Protect Your Immune System" from the Sep. 2001 Your Healthy Perspective.
"Immune System Protection" from the Oct. 2001 Your Healthy Perspective.
-------------------------
More SARS Links
---------------
We've only briefly touched on this large and complex topic. Listed below are more links you may find helpful.
Global Alert SARS
CDC Guidelines
New England Journal of Medicine SARS
What's new at Healthy Families, Healthy Environment
World Health Organization (WHO) SARS info
----------------
BARGAINS
----------------
Don't forget to check in with Your Discount Page. We update frequently to bring you some of the web's best bargains.
And check out the Main Shopping Page. You'll see more new stores. (And more are to be added.) We enjoy bringing you some of the world wide web's best merchandise at the most affordable prices.
----------------------------------
DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
----------------------------------
Kiss My Face
Last month's featured store is also this month's featured store. No, we're not lagging in creativity (nor lacking in stores to feature!). But we just had to let you in on this:
** Kiss My Face's one-day-only sale where ALL their merchandise is HALF PRICE!!! **
(This is their long-awaited once yearly extravaganza sale.)
We will certainly be taking advantage of this and encourage you to do so too. We mentioned in the article above on hand washing that we buy natural liquid and bar soaps - this is where we get them! And we will be stocking up!
We also regularly use Kiss My Face moisturizers, lotions, personal, and beauty products. And we'll be stocking up on these too!
Here's the scoop:
The Time: 12:01AM EST Tuesday, May 6 through 3:01AM EST Wednesday, May 7
The Place: http://www.healthyperspective.com/kissmyface.html
(Click on any of the banners or hyper-text links, browse, shop, and save 50 percent!)
Enjoy!
----------------
Make time for the people God has placed in your life.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Gal. 6:2 (NIV)
God bless you!
-Rev. Clarence Russell, Kimberly and Nicole
--------------------
Please feel free to forward, copy, post or share this newsletter (in its entirety only, please) with those who might enjoy or benefit from it.
If such a friend sent this newsletter to you and you enjoyed it, you can have your own free subscription. Simply send an e-mail to
subscribe@healthyperspective.com. Or you may visit the Healthy Perspective web site at http://www.healthyperspective.com/subscribepage.html and follow the simple SUBSCRIBE directions.
___
We only send this publication to individuals who wish to receive a free subscription, and we do not make this e-mail list available to anyone else for any reason.
___
If you ever wish, for any reason, to discontinue your free subscription, please send an e-mail to unsubscribe@healthyperspective.com.
___
The material in this file is provided for informational purposes only. We do not prescribe nor diagnose. If you use the information in this file without the approval of a health professional, you prescribe for yourself, which remains your constitutional right, but the author(s) assume no responsibility.
___
Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 by Clarence Russell. All rights reserved. As long as this file is left intact, permission is granted for use on web sites or in newsgroups or mailing lists.