Who is at risk for SARS?
• People who have recently traveled to a country where community spread of SARS has been documented. • People who have had direct close contact with a person who is sick with SARS. For example: people living with a SARS patient; or health care workers who did not wear a mask while taking care of a SARS patient. In the United States, there is no indication that SARS is being spread at this time. Public health officials continue to monitor this situation very closely. What you should do to protect yourself? • Avoid unnecessary travel to high-risk areas (countries where community spread of SARS has been documented). • Avoid close contact with people who have returned within 10 days from a high-risk area, but only if they are currently ill with symptoms consistent with SARS infection. (There is no need to avoid recent travelers who have no symptoms of SARS.) • Avoid close contact with a person who may have SARS by wearing a mask. Or, the infected person can wear a mask as this can reduce t
Cases of SARS continue to be reported mainly among people who have had direct close contact with an infected person, such as those sharing a household with a SARS patient and healthcare workers who did not use infection control procedures while caring for a SARS patient. In the United States, there is no indication of community spread at this time. CDC continues to monitor this situation very closely. What should I do to protect myself against SARS? CDC has issued interim guidelines for patients with suspected SARS in the workplace, healthcare settings, households and schools. Also see the CDC SARS home page. These guidelines may change as we learn more about SARS. If you get sick with the symptoms described above and have been in close contact with someone who might have SARS, or have traveled to or had close contact with someone who has traveled to a country known to have communicable transmission (China, Hong Kong, Vietnam), contact your healthcare provider by telephone before visit
