T HE SARS OUTBREAK What policies should the United States government implement to deal with the spread of the deadly SARS virus? © PIH 2007

T HE SARS V IRUS – A B RIEF O VERVIEW Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness. The main way that SARS seems to spread is by close person-to-person contact. The virus also can spread when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with infectious droplets and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eye(s). In general, SARS begins with a high fever. Other symptoms may include headache, an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Most patients develop pneumonia. The disease is fatal for many. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Step 1: Read the article entitled How SARS Is Strangling Hong Kong Step 2: Watch the Video - Mellissa Fung reports for CBCVideo

Q UARANTINE H ITS T ORONTO S CHOOL I N SARS F IGHT B Y CLIFFORD KRAUSS WITH LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN – N EW Y ORK T IMES “Health authorities today quarantined as many as 2,000 students, teachers and staff members of a large parochial school on the outskirts of Toronto that was closed after an 11th-grade student attended classes for two days last week while showing symptoms of SARS.” “Health officials did not identify the parochial school student with the symptoms of the disease, but did say he is a son of a health care worker who was infected at North York General Hospital…”

H ONG K ONG T ORONTO U.S.? Predict the potential impact the spread of the SARS virus would have if it were to spread to this country. Impact on the economy: Social impacts: Impact on politics/military: Other impacts:

T HE SCENARIO : A special advisory panel of national experts has been convened to help the President develop policies to deal with this potential emergency. Your job as a member of this panel is to address this question: What should the President do if SARS breaks out in the United States? In order to adequately respond to this question, you should develop policies that effectively address many of the potential impacts of this emergency (political, economic, social, religious).