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SARS: fact
and fiction
By DR. MEL KOHN,
Epidemiologist
Oregon Dept. of Human
Services
SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome)
first splashed across the
headlines in February, and
there has scarcely been a
day since without a major
news story about it.
Worldwide, at the end
of May, more than 8,000
cases have been reported
with more than 700
deaths. In the United
States, there are more than
350 cases and no deaths.
Although the number
of cases is low compared
with many other health
threats, fear of SARS is
gripping the globe. Be-
cause it's a new disease,
we still don't have all the
answers. A definitive test
for SARS is not yet avail-
able and a vaccination is
even further away.
The fact that SARS
was first detected in China
and then spread to other
Asian countries is having a
negative effect on some
Oregonians who have
never been near the vi-
rus. Fueled by travel bans
to certain Asian countries
and repetitive images of
Asians wearing protective
masks, it's called stigmati-
zation, and it's affecting
people who are or who
look to be Asian.
As state epidemiolo-
gist, I oversee public
health programs that rely
on the best science avail-
able to prevent diseases
and injuries. To that end, I
am greatly concerned
about reports I've heard of
discrimination toward
Asians.
For instance, I've heard
of people avoiding Asians
on the street or in the store,
and staying away from
Asian businesses because
of SARS. These actions
are divisive to our commu-
nities and they have a very
real economic effect. And,
a review of the facts sug-
gests they aren't effectively
preventing people from
getting SARS.
Fact: SARS is a respi-
ratory illness caused by a
new virus. Although Asia
happened to be the place
where SARS was first rec-
ognized, it's not a disease
that is biologically related
to being Asian.
Fact: Only a very tiny
number of people world-
wide have been infected
with SARS. For instance,
out of the 3.5 billion peo-
ple in Asia, about 7,000
cases have been reported
there: about one case for
every half million people.
Fact: Casual contact,
such as passing someone
on a bus or in a shopping
mall, is not the major way
SARS has been spread.
The biggest risk factor
is close contact with an
infected individual, par-
ticularly in a health-care
setting.
Each day we are mak-
ing dramatic progress in
finding out more about
SARS.
We know that people
can minimize their risk of
getting SARS by avoiding
travel to SARS-affected
areas and by washing their
hands; and in some situa-
tions by wearing masks.
Although we have yet
to see a serious case of
SARS in Oregon, we are
being watchful.
But we also need to be
vigilant against unreasoned
fear that can lead to the
stigmatization of a particu-
lar community.
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 2, 2003