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1. Don’t panic.
It is important to keep into
perspective that anything highly reported in the media draws
enormously disproportionate attention to itself. The number of
individuals who die from influenza and pneumonia far outweighs
the number of people who have SARS. It is more important to
keep an objective account of your symptoms than to jump on the
panic and paranoia bandwagon.
2.
If you do have a fever of over 100.4 F (or 38 C), and
develop a cough or difficulty breathing, immediately
consult your health care provider.
3.Keep note of any exposure you
may have had to recent travelers. This information is vital
to health care practioners who can communicate this
information to the CDC.
4.
If you have SARS, or are in the company of one who may
have it, be sure to follow universal precautions to prevent
transmission. These include:
·
Limit
interactions outside the home for 10 days
·
Frequent hand
washing and use of alcohol hand cleansers
·
Cover your mouth
before sneezing or coughing to prevent oral transmission
·
Wearing
disposable gloves for any contact with body fluids, including
saliva, phlegm, etc
·
Avoid sharing
utensils, towels, or bedding
·
Laundering with
hot water and soap
5.
Last but not least, optimizing your health with proper
nutrition, stress management, physician-approved vitamin and
antioxidant supplementation, and avoidance of smoking and
proper weight management are all vital to optimizing your
immune functioning.
For more information: www.CDC.gov
WHAT IS SARS?
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Physician's thoughts
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