SARS Outbreak Creates Worldwide Panic
In the third and last unit of my STEAM course, Disease, I was able to study the spread of diseases. I also studied the way diseases and disorders become epidemics. I was able to learn about the various classifications and how they differ. I was able to create an evacuation plan that was functional, and I felt that this allowed me to see the complications of managing a crisis. Being able to learn about the job of an epidemiologist was interesting because I learned the various concepts and how they use them in understanding how illnesses spread. I learned about the mathematical model used by epidemiologists and through that I learned about a term called the R-Naught. For my Action Project, I was tasked to choose a specific disease outbreak that occurred in history, research the various aspects of the outbreak, and create a newspaper article that informed the readers about the epidemic. I informed the readers of the origin of the outbreak, how the outbreak affected the world, how it was controlled, and the various way's that people can prevent the outbreak from occurring again. I enjoyed this because of the insight I was able to gather from conducting this project as a journalist. I felt that gathering the research and being able to present it so that it can be easily understood by any audience was the most difficult task. However, I felt that I was able to accomplish this and was successfully able to present my information in an effective and communicative manner. Overall, I enjoyed this project. I hope you enjoy it as well.
In the fall of 2002 SARS-affected a farmer in Foshan, which is a town in the Guangdong Province, South China. It was speculated that this one person was the first case of the virus. At the time, SARS was very uncommon and no person had ever known of its existence in the world, until then. Around the area, people began to feel ill and experience cold-like symptoms. It was shocking for the world when it was reported that about 300 people who were are all infected and feeling ill. Along with that, Five people had died. In the area of Foshan, there were established customs where they had eaten birds, ducks, chickens, and cats, which are considered a delicacy. In the result of the consumption and improper handling of these animals, the SARS virus was contracted by the population.
SARS is a viral respiratory disease. This disease is caused by the coronavirus, which is a virus that most people obtain within their lifetime. It lives in both the human and animal population. The various coronavirus's lives and affects the respiratory tracts of mammals. The symptoms of a coronavirus include sneezing, coughing, fever, sore throat, and fatigue. Exacerbated asthma and diarrhea are also symptoms of the coronavirus.
In order for someone to figure out the scale of an epidemic, they must use a mathematical term called the "R-naught" of the disease. Epidemiologists use this scale as a way of measuring how contagious an infectious disease is. The R-naught gives us the reproduction number, which can be thought of as the number of secondary cases generated by one particular case of the disease. SARS is an airborne disease, which is transferrable through sneezing and is able to be measured through the R-naught. The R-naught for SARS is measured at 4, which means that each person infected with SARS is likely to infect four other people. Epidemiologists have classified this outbreak as a pandemic because a pandemic is an epidemic of disease that has spread across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. In this case, it had spread to 34 countries worldwide and various areas on 5 continents, which by definition would be considered a pandemic
A man named Liu Jianlun had developed SARS symptoms on a trip from the Guangdong Province to visit family in Hong Kong. During his visit, he had infected people at his hotel and family. He was the first case to die of this disease, along with one member of his family. Soon after, an investigation began and the World Health Organization issued an emergency travel advisory about the illness, which described it as a global threat. As the investigation continued, they discovered that the outbreak may have come from eating or handling birds and the virus was also found in civet cats which are eaten and handled in China, which is considered a delicacy.
In order for the researchers to have been sure of their conclusion, they decided to look at the disease under a microscope, allowing them to look at it at a molecular level. Through observations and research, they were able to link the SARS virus to closely related viruses found in various animals. From their findings, they were able to break the genetic code of the virus in what was described as "stunning" by the World Health Organization. This gave scientists, the tools to further develop a diagnostic test and a vaccine.
Fortunately, the health organizations, doctors and government intervention allowed the world to experience a decline in the SARS virus. Specifically, transparency between countries and the ability to access information allowed people from all around the world to attack the issue. In addition, the science of medicine from the twenty-first century played a role in controlling SARS. Lastly, the control of animal husbandry was a large factor in the SARS pandemic and the reason is due to the thought that it had originated from animals.
Being in an area where the virus is known from spreading and exposure to someone who is infected by the virus are risk factors that many people should be mindful of. It is possible for a person to prevent themselves from contracting SARS and help reduce the chances of an epidemic outbreak occurring again. In order for one to do this, it requires them to be aware of any travel destination that they decide to visit and to find if this destination is a high risk for SARS. A precautionary measure that can be used is washing your hands frequently with warm water and soap. This is one of the important and simplest ways of protecting yourself. In addition, wear a surgical mask if you are in the same room as a person who is contaminated with the virus. Lastly, avoid eating or handling birds and cats in areas very rural areas, where sanitation is not enforced. From the past, we can now see how this has created a worldwide pandemic and has taught us many lessons for the years ahead.
In the fall of 2002 SARS-affected a farmer in Foshan, which is a town in the Guangdong Province, South China. It was speculated that this one person was the first case of the virus. At the time, SARS was very uncommon and no person had ever known of its existence in the world, until then. Around the area, people began to feel ill and experience cold-like symptoms. It was shocking for the world when it was reported that about 300 people who were are all infected and feeling ill. Along with that, Five people had died. In the area of Foshan, there were established customs where they had eaten birds, ducks, chickens, and cats, which are considered a delicacy. In the result of the consumption and improper handling of these animals, the SARS virus was contracted by the population.
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| A.A. Newspaper (2019) |
SARS is a viral respiratory disease. This disease is caused by the coronavirus, which is a virus that most people obtain within their lifetime. It lives in both the human and animal population. The various coronavirus's lives and affects the respiratory tracts of mammals. The symptoms of a coronavirus include sneezing, coughing, fever, sore throat, and fatigue. Exacerbated asthma and diarrhea are also symptoms of the coronavirus.
In order for someone to figure out the scale of an epidemic, they must use a mathematical term called the "R-naught" of the disease. Epidemiologists use this scale as a way of measuring how contagious an infectious disease is. The R-naught gives us the reproduction number, which can be thought of as the number of secondary cases generated by one particular case of the disease. SARS is an airborne disease, which is transferrable through sneezing and is able to be measured through the R-naught. The R-naught for SARS is measured at 4, which means that each person infected with SARS is likely to infect four other people. Epidemiologists have classified this outbreak as a pandemic because a pandemic is an epidemic of disease that has spread across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. In this case, it had spread to 34 countries worldwide and various areas on 5 continents, which by definition would be considered a pandemic
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| STKLA. SARS AND DEATHS. (2012) |
A man named Liu Jianlun had developed SARS symptoms on a trip from the Guangdong Province to visit family in Hong Kong. During his visit, he had infected people at his hotel and family. He was the first case to die of this disease, along with one member of his family. Soon after, an investigation began and the World Health Organization issued an emergency travel advisory about the illness, which described it as a global threat. As the investigation continued, they discovered that the outbreak may have come from eating or handling birds and the virus was also found in civet cats which are eaten and handled in China, which is considered a delicacy.
In order for the researchers to have been sure of their conclusion, they decided to look at the disease under a microscope, allowing them to look at it at a molecular level. Through observations and research, they were able to link the SARS virus to closely related viruses found in various animals. From their findings, they were able to break the genetic code of the virus in what was described as "stunning" by the World Health Organization. This gave scientists, the tools to further develop a diagnostic test and a vaccine.
Fortunately, the health organizations, doctors and government intervention allowed the world to experience a decline in the SARS virus. Specifically, transparency between countries and the ability to access information allowed people from all around the world to attack the issue. In addition, the science of medicine from the twenty-first century played a role in controlling SARS. Lastly, the control of animal husbandry was a large factor in the SARS pandemic and the reason is due to the thought that it had originated from animals.
Being in an area where the virus is known from spreading and exposure to someone who is infected by the virus are risk factors that many people should be mindful of. It is possible for a person to prevent themselves from contracting SARS and help reduce the chances of an epidemic outbreak occurring again. In order for one to do this, it requires them to be aware of any travel destination that they decide to visit and to find if this destination is a high risk for SARS. A precautionary measure that can be used is washing your hands frequently with warm water and soap. This is one of the important and simplest ways of protecting yourself. In addition, wear a surgical mask if you are in the same room as a person who is contaminated with the virus. Lastly, avoid eating or handling birds and cats in areas very rural areas, where sanitation is not enforced. From the past, we can now see how this has created a worldwide pandemic and has taught us many lessons for the years ahead.
Works Cited
American Lung Association. "SARS Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors." American Lung Association, www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/severe- acute-respiratory-syndrome-sars/sars-symptoms-causes.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "CDC SARS Response Timeline." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 July 2018, www.cdc.gov/about/history/sars/timeline.htm.
Chew, Suok. "SARS: How a Global Epidemic Was Stopped." PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2636331/.
CNN Library. "SARS Fast Facts." CNN, 9 July 2018, www.cnn.com/2013/09/02/health/sars-fast- facts/index.html.
Gholipour, Bahar. "5 Scariest Disease Outbreaks of the Past Century." Live Science, 25 Nov. 2013, www.livescience.com/41478-scariest-disease-outbreaks.html.
HowSuffWorks. "Is There a SARS Vaccine?" HowStuffWorks, 13 June 2011, health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/infectious/sars-vaccine.htm.
Huang, Yanzhong. "THE SARS EPIDEMIC AND ITS AFTERMATH IN CHINA: A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE - Learning from SARS - NCBI Bookshelf." National Center for Biotechnology Information, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92479/.
Johnston, Abby. "Exactly How Contagious Is Ebola?" Bustle, 8 Oct. 2014, www.bustle.com/articles/43200-is-ebola-more-contagious-than-sars-measles- or-the-flu.
LeDuc, James, and M. Barry. "SARS, the First Pandemic of the 21st Century." PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3329048/.
Strickla. SARS CASES AND DEATHS, 3 Apr. 2012, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SARS_Cases_and_Deaths.svg.
Woolston, Chris. "SARS." Consumer HealthDay, 1 Jan. 2019, consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/diseases-and-conditions-15/misc- diseases-and-conditions-news-203/sars-648365.html.
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