While there are no reported cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS, in the Bahamas, health officials say they are not taking any chances.
The mysterious flu-like illness has resulted in travel advisories and killed nearly 100 persons worldwide and over the past week, local health officials have been concerned that SARS had surfaced in the Bahamas.
But Health Minister Dr. Marcus Bethel said yesterday that there were no cases of the illness in the Bahamas, although two people had been quarantined.
“We have two suspect cases of persons who traveled abroad and are not felling well,” Dr. Bethel said. “What normally happens is that the ministry and its surveillance team immediately puts into effect a process to ensure that any individual – until proven otherwise – is isolated so that the risk of spread to anybody else – if the case should turn out to be SARS – is limited.
“We’re handling it very well. In fact, the cases I’m talking about…once the suspected cases came in the measures [were] immediately invoked to create a level of isolation and containment for both health care workers who may have to deal with them and for family and friends who may live near them until there is confirmation or lack thereof. Those measures are put in place. We’ve gotten good cooperation,” he added.
SARS is spread via droplet infections that include spitting, coughing and sneezing.
Up to yesterday, there were 2,601 suspected cases worldwide, with over 1,000 in China.
No one is exactly sure where the disease came from, but all signs point to it originating in China.
In fact, The World Health Organization has advised against travel to Hong Kong or parts of China due to the outbreak of the deadly virus. But local healthcare workers caring for the two persons suspected of SARS have put in place strict infection control procedures.
Health workers dealing with the matter are wearing special masks and gloves, and monitoring their own possible symptoms after exposure to the patients. Dr. Bethel said that both cases have been observed over the past week. As is the procedure, he said the individuals are being monitored for at least 10 days. Tests have already been taken and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.
“From a clinical point of view, we would observe people for that period to get a profile as to what the illness is doing or not doing,” Dr. Bethel said. “Various tests are sent to the Centers for Disease Control where they are trying to develop tests to confirm the nature of SARS.
The results of those tests we won’t have back for some time because they are collecting tests from around the world. Because we’re dealing with a new entity, we don’t have a track record of how long it will take at this time.”
Questioned as to whether the two persons quarantined are Bahamians, Minister Bethel said, “not necessarily.”
He confirmed though that one is a visitor, while the other is not. Whether the latter is a Bahamian or resident, Dr. Bethel stopped short of confirming that. According to Dr. Bethel, one of the individuals traveled to China. He also refused to disclose where the patients are isolated, saying that to do so would be a breach of patient confidentiality.
“It mandates that I can only give out limited information about any particular individual, so I couldn’t give you any details as to what facility they have attended, where they are quarantined, where they’re from,” the health minister said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bethel assured the public that there is no need for alarm. He said the import thing is for the public to be vigilant and adhere to basic hygiene measures.
“If one is sick with a cough or cold, protect or cover one’s mouth,” he said. “If one comes in contact with someone who is sick, ensure that they are covering their mouths when they cough and sneeze and try to avoid exposure.”
Noting that from reports abroad, most people survive SARS, Dr. Bethel said it has proven fatal to those who suffer the severe form of it.
Symptoms of SARS include a fever of 100 degrees or more, breathing problems such as shortness of breath, headaches and body aches.
By Hadassah Hall, The Bahama Journal
