Infection control and SARS transmission among healthcare workers, Taiwan

Yee-Chun Chen; Pei-Jer Chen; Shan-Chwen Chang; Chiang-Lian Kao; Shiou-Hwa Wang; Li-Hua Wang; Pan-Chyr Yang; SARS Research Group of National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital

doi:10.3201/eid1005.030777

Infection control and SARS transmission among healthcare workers, Taiwan

Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 May;10(5):895-8. doi: 10.3201/eid1005.030777.

Authors

Yee-Chun Chen¹, Pei-Jer Chen, Shan-Chwen Chang, Chiang-Lian Kao, Shiou-Hwa Wang, Li-Hua Wang, Pan-Chyr Yang; SARS Research Group of National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital

Affiliation

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract

This study found infrequent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus to healthcare workers involved in the care of the first five case-patients in Taiwan, despite a substantial number of unprotected exposures. Nonetheless, given that SARS has been highly transmissible on some occasions, we still recommend strict precautions.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Viral / blood
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / epidemiology
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / transmission*
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / virology
Health Personnel*
Humans
Infection Control / methods*
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional*
Occupational Exposure
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / epidemiology
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / transmission*
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / genetics
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / immunology
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / isolation & purification
Taiwan / epidemiology

Substances

Antibodies, Viral