SARS. Main symptoms of SARS. Treatment of SARS.

Here are the major known facts and symptoms of SARS:

The incubation period ranges from 2 to 10 days. This means that once someone has been exposed, it can take anywhere from 2 to 10 days for symptoms to occur. Some authorities have reported incubation periods of as many as 14 days, but this is not currently considered the norm. The initial indication of infection is a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more (38 degrees Celsius or more). Chills, headache, muscle soreness and a general feeling of discomfort are also common. A dry, unproductive cough develops after 3 to 7 days. The cough can be accompanied by or eventually result in hypoxemia (a condition characterized by a reduced concentration of oxygen in the blood). Approximately 10 to 20% of infected patients require some type of assistance in breathing either through intubation or mechanical ventilation.

Treatment of SARS by official medicine

Although the causeative agent has now been identified, more research is needed to identify a cure. For now, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that healthcare workers treat the symptoms of SARS in the same way they would handle any other unknown form of atypical pneumonia.

Although the effectiveness is uncertain, reported regimens include the administration of:

• antibiotics
• antiviral agents like oseltamivir or ribavirin
• a combination of steroids and antimicrobials
• Let's take a look at what causes SARS and some of the other possibilities scientists initially considered.