Sars Symptons

What is SARS?
SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome.

What are the symptoms of SARS?
The main symptoms of SARS are:
a high fever (over 38°C)

associated with one or more respiratory symptoms, including:
dry cough
shortness of breath
difficulty breathing.
SARS may be associated with other symptoms, including headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhoea.

If you develop these symptoms and have travelled to the list of SARS-affected areas as identified by WHO, or have been a close contact of persons diagnosed with SARS, please seek immediate medical attention at TTSH.

The earliest symptom is a sudden onset of high fever with or without muscle aches. Some patients may also have chills, headaches, shivering spells and cough. After 3 to 7 days, patients may start to cough and experience shortness of breadth, and X-ray changes of pneumonia, usually after a further 3 to 4 days.

A person is not infectious during the incubation period which is about 3 to 7 days, but for some, it may be up to 10 days. Most of the SARS patients in Singapore passed on the virus to a small number of people only and through close contact.

From the cases so far, it appears that SARS becomes infectious only after the infected person develops the symptoms. A small number of individuals with SARS who are very sick can be very infectious.