Abstract
We analyzed information obtained from 1,192 patients with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported in Hong Kong. Among them, 26.6% were hospital workers, 16.1% were household members of SARS patients and had probable secondary infections, 14.3% were Amoy Garden residents, 4.9% were inpatients, and 20.1% were contacts of SARS patients who were not family members. The remaining 347 case-patients (29.1%) did not have “known” sources of infection. Excluding those <16 years of age, 330 patients with cases from “undefined” sources were used in a 1:2 matched case-control study. Multivariate analysis of this case-control study showed that having visited mainland China, hospitals, or the Amoy Gardens were risk factors (odds ratio [OR] 1.95 to 7.63). In addition, frequent mask use in public venues, frequent hand washing, and disinfecting the living quarters were significant protective factors (OR 0.36 to 0.58). In Hong Kong, therefore, community-acquired infection did not make up most transmissions, and public health measures have contributed substantially to the control of the SARS epidemic.
Highlights
We analyzed information obtained from 1,192 patients with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported in Hong Kong
Cases with Known Sources of Transmission Of the 1,214 probable SARS cases covered by this study, 22 questionnaires (1.8%) were incomplete and did not allow us to classify the respondents into groups according to source of transmission
Multivariate Analysis When all the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis were used as input for the multivariate stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis, the results show that among the 330 patients with undefined sources, the following were significant risk factors: having visited mainland China (OR = 1.95, p = 0.020, Table 2), having visited the Amoy Gardens (OR = 7.63, p < 0.001), having visited the Prince of Wales Hospital (OR = 7.07, p = 0.009), and having visited other hospitals or clinics (OR = 3.70, p < 0.001) during the reference period
Summary
We analyzed information obtained from 1,192 patients with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, community-acquired infection did not make up most transmissions, and public health measures have contributed substantially to the control of the SARS epidemic. Reports that public health measures, such as wearing masks, frequent hand washing, avoidance of crowded places, disinfection of the living quarters had been practiced by most of the Hong Kong population during the SARS outbreak (>90%) (5). Patients with known sources included those who were hospital workers, those who lived in the Amoy Gardens Estate, those who were probable secondary cases within a household (i.e., those with another household member who had SARS with an earlier date of onset), those who were inpatients and were cross-infected by other inpatients, and those persons who had contact with another SARS patient (who was not one of their household members) before the onset of fever. Preventive factors were related to public health measures for prevention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
