Update (VIII) On SARS Cases In Singapore

21 Mar 2003

As at 21 March 03, a total of 39 people with SARS have been reported to the Ministry of Health. The 5 additional patients reported today comprise 4 hospital staff and 1 close contact of a patient. Three patients have been discharged from hospital. The other 36 patients are still in hospital. All the patients are stable except for 7 patients who are in serious condition.

To date, apart from the 3 initial people who had travelled to Hong Kong, a total of 19 family and friends of cases, and 17 hospital staff have been diagnosed with SARS. So far, all the cases of SARS have been linked to the initial 3 cases. No new index cases have been reported. In addition, no further cases have occurred among hospital staff as a result of infection from known or suspected cases of SARS after the implementation of enhanced infection control precautions.

Schools and pre-schools will reopen on 24 March. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education have assessed that there is no need to extend the school break. The spread of SARS is still confined to family and friends, and hospital staff who have had close contacts with infected patients. As an added precautionary measure, the children of contacts of known cases will be asked to stay away from school for another week. This is to prevent any community spread.

MOH is also working closely with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community Development and Sports to step up vigilance in schools, preschools and child care centres. Children who have fever will be asked to seek medical attention and to return to school only when they are well.

MOH would like to appeal to all parents whose children have been to Hong Kong, Guangdong province in China or Hanoi to closely monitor their children. They should not be sent to school if they have fever and should be seen by a doctor immediately. All schools and pre-schools have been advised through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Community Development and Sports to look out for children who are unwell with fever and have been to the affected areas. Such children will be immediately isolated and their parents contacted to bring them to seek medical attention.

The public should continue to avoid travel to Hong Kong, Hanoi and Guangdong province in China for the time being, unless absolutely necessary. This would help us greatly in our efforts to contain the number of new cases.

We also advise you to stay calm and continue with your daily routine. Though SARS is infectious, there is no need for alarm as your risk of catching SARS is low. WHO has reported that the disease is spread from person to person but only through close contact with an infected person. There is no evidence to date that the disease spreads through casual contact.

The Ministry would like to reiterate that you should seek immediate medical attention if you have:

- Fever (more than 38 degree celsius) and respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath or breathing difficulty;

AND

- have travelled to Hong Kong, Hanoi or Guangdong province in China, within 2 weeks of onset of the symptoms; or

- are a close contact of persons diagnosed with SARS. (Close contact means having cared for, having lived with, or having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a person with SARS)

Unless you have the above symptoms AND a similar travel history or personal contact with infected persons, the Ministry urges the public to seek the advice of a GP first and not go to the Communicable Disease Centre to avoid bogging down its resources.

Related links:

Factsheets:

(a) Measures Taken To Control the Outbreak in Singapore

(b) About Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

(c) Frequently Asked Questions on SARS