The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7247 p610
3 May 2003

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

Related websites
SARS articles and links (more)

SARS shorter and milder in children

Young children may develop a less severe form of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) than adults and teenagers, it was reported this week.

Researchers in Hong Kong prospectively followed 10 children with SARS. They found that teenagers presented with symptoms of malaise, myalgia, chill and rigor, all of which are similar to adult symptoms. Young children presented with cough and runny nose and none had chills, rigor or myalgia. In addition, the clinical course was much milder and shorter among younger patients.

The researchers also outline the current treatment for SARS being used in Hong Kong. It involves corticosteroids, the antiviral ribavirin and a combination of antibiotics (cefotaxime and clarithromycin).

The article is currently available online at The Lancet's website (www.thelancet.com).

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization this week lifted its advice against travel to Toronto. It also announced that Vietnam is the first country to have contained its SARS outbreak and so has been removed from the list of affected areas. Travel advisories for Beijing, Hong Kong, and the Guangdong and Shanxi provinces, China, remain in place.

In Vietnam, there have been no new reported cases since 8 April. This was described by WHO as "an encouraging indicator that appropriate detection and protection measures are able to contain outbreaks and prevent their further spread".

In Toronto, it has been 20 days since the last case of community transmission of SARS and the magnitude of probable SARS cases has decreased.

As of 29 April, there have been 5,462 probable cases of SARS and 353 deaths across 27 countries worldwide. Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, director general, WHO, observed that the situation with SARS is at a stage where "we have a chance to contain it" provided preventive measures continue to be implemented.

Travel advice is published daily by WHO (website www.who.int).