WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Health. April 29, 2003:The Westchester County Department of Health today announced that a second possible case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has been identified in a Westchester resident. A female high school student from New Rochelle, who had traveled to Toronto, Canada in mid-April, began developing fever, cough and respiratory symptoms – symptoms that are consistent with SARS – on April 26. She is currently recovering at a local hospital.
The Health Department has conferred with CDC and the New York State Health Department. All consider the student’s illness to be consistent with a possible case of SARS.
“At this point we have no way of knowing that this student has a case of SARS because there is no definitive test for the disease. Under CDC guidelines, any person with a fever, cough, respiratory symptoms and travel history to places where SARS is prevalent is to be considered a ‘possible case of SARS’,” said Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of Health for Westchester County . “Any case that meets this case definition is being treated as a case of SARS as a precaution.”
Not Contagious When Attending School.
“The classification is based on fever, respiratory symptoms and travel history. Even though the student returned to school after her trip, she did not experience any symptoms during this time and only became ill this past weekend,” Dr. Lipsman said. “The student will remain out of school until at least ten days following resolution of her illness. Because the student had no symptoms while attending school, students and staff exposed to the student during school hours should not be at risk of being infected. In addition, since the student has not been in school for a few days and there is no evidence that the virus survives for extended periods of time in the environment, there should be no risk of acquiring infection from the school environment itself,” he added.
New Rochelle Takes Measures
The Health Department is currently working with Dr. Adrienne Weiss-Harrison, Director of School Health Services, New Rochelle High School, and the City School District of New Rochelle Administration to provide students and parents with information that they are at minimal risk, if any at all, of contracting SARS.
The New Rochelle City School District said it would be sending a letter to all parents of children who attend New Rochelle Public School System. As with any illness, anyone who experiences symptoms consistent with SARS should contact a health care provider.
The Health Department has been working diligently to avert the possibility of a SARS outbreak in Westchester County, or, in the event of an outbreak, to respond to it. The key components of the Health Department’s program in response to SARS are education, monitoring, and control.
EDUCATION
Updated information about SARS and its prevention is being made available to the public through fact sheets and through the Health Department website, www.westchestergov.com/health. Up-to-the-minute information for physicians is provided through Public Health Updates that are being faxed as information becomes available to emergency room physicians, infection control nurses, laboratories, and large group physician practices. Through the Physician’s Corner on the department’s website, physicians can receive the latest updates on SARS and link to other national and state resources with information on the topic.
MONITORING
A new computerized system developed by the county health department specifically to respond to emerging public health threats receives and analyzes data from hospital emergency rooms on a daily basis and triggers alerts when unusual levels or clusters of illness are identified. Health Department staff then follow up on any unusual findings.
Recently, the department added two more hospitals to its surveillance network, now covering in total more than 50% of the County’s emergency room visits. In addition, health department staff are in daily communication with hospital emergency room staff to ensure early identification of persons who may have certain types of illnesses, including respiratory diseases.
CONTROL AND RESPONSE
The health department is taking the following control measures to prevent an outbreak of SARS in our area:
• A health advisory for arriving travelers is currently being distributed to all airline passengers at the County Airport.
• The County’s outbound emergency calling system is being placed into a state of readiness to make phone calls relaying pertinent SARS information.
• Libraries, senior centers, parks, schools and other community groups are being contacted to assist the County in getting SARS information out to the public and are being provided with fact sheets about SARS.
• Plans are being made to staff a SARS Hotline in the event the need for such a service arises.
To Learn More About SARS
For more information, visit the Health Department’s website at www.westchestergov.com/health or call the Health Department at (914) 813-5000.
No Health Treatment Yet. Reporting is the Key.
Until an effective treatment is established for SARS, the control of SARS depends on traditional public health measures. Residents who are experiencing symptoms and have a travel history to countries reporting SARS should contact their physicians.
Physicians should notify the Westchester County Department of Health regarding any patients whom they suspect of having SARS.
Fit-tested respirators have been recommended by the State Health Department for emergency and health care workers who may come in contact with patients at risk for SARS.
The Department of Emergency Services and the Department of Health are working together with dispatchers, emergency medical services and hospitals to ensure that appropriate infection control measures are taken.
County Monitoring Systems Are Watching
“The Health Department’s disease surveillance and monitoring capability has been dramatically expanded in recent years through enhancements to electronic data management and improved communications to and with health care providers throughout the public health system,” said Dr. Lipsman.
“Given our extensive experience in responding to emerging diseases such as West Nile Virus, we are prepared to conduct aggressive and effective control measures with regards to SARS, should the need arise,” he added.
The Travel-Risk Ports
Travelers who have recently visited Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, Hanoi, Vietnam and Toronto should report any slight fever and respiratory problems to their physician.
SARS is a newly emerging respiratory illness characterized by a fever of 100.4 F or higher, difficulty breathing, and recent travel to Hong Kong; mainland China; Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Toronto, or close contact with a person with SARS.
An estimated 5.8% of people with SARS die. There is no effective medication to treat the disease. To date, over 4,800 cases have been reported globally, with the majority occurring in several eastern countries and Canada.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that non-essential travel plans be rescheduled to countries experiencing SARS.