World Health Organization (
WHO) infection control expert
Cathryn Murphy stressed on the importance of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (
SARS)
infection control in hospitals at a lecture given to health care
staff in the Macao Special Administrative Region Sunday.
On
the theme of "Infection Control Measures to Prevent Transmission of
SARS," the lecture came right on time as medical staff in hospitals
in Macao were mobilized in SARS training.
"We have all attended SARS training given by our hospital. We would
like to hear what new information a WHO expert would give us," said
Caroline Lou, head nurse in the Cerebral Surgery Department of the
Government Hospital of Macao.
Murphy said that WHO has got in the research of SARS. She said that
approximately 6,054 cases in 27 countries were confirmed as on May
2, 2003, and a significant number of cases have been in health care
workers.
She stressed that it is both important for medical staff to learn
to define suspect SARS cases as early as possible, and to make
sufficient infection control measures to protect themselves, other
patients and the environment.
The expert from the Department of Health of New South Wales,
Australia, said that the concerns for Macao is that its surrounding
regions have been infected, and that is why WHO has attached such
an importance by sending two experts including herself to
coordinate in the disease prevention within two months.
She told medical staff that once a hospital admits a SARS patient,
it should limit the number of medical workers on duty and the use
of facilities to reduce the chance of infection.
For possible SARS patients who do not demonstrate identical
symptoms such as high fever and the shortness of breath, it is
unnecessary to admit them into isolation wards in hospital. They
can receive isolated home quarantine, Murphy said.
She is expected to give assessment and advices on Macao's SARS
preparedness after she concluded her four-day inspection on May 5.
She will fly to Beijing to join other WHO experts on the next
day.
(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2003)