Cluster of severe acute respiratory syndrome cases among protected health-care workers--Toronto, Canada, April 2003

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2003 May 16;52(19):433-6.

Abstract

Infections among health-care workers (HCWs) have been a common feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) since its emergence. The majority of these infections have occurred in locations where infection-control precautions either had not been instituted or had been instituted but were not followed. Recommended infection-control precautions include the use of negative-pressure isolation rooms where available; N95 or higher level of respiratory protection; gloves, gowns, and eye protection; and careful hand hygiene. This report summarizes a cluster of SARS cases among HCWs in a hospital that occurred despite apparent compliance with recommended infection-control precautions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cross Infection
  • Health Personnel*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control*
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional* / prevention & control
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional* / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Ontario / epidemiology
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / epidemiology*
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / therapy
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / transmission
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / isolation & purification*