What it means
A viral illness caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). It spread from southern China in 2002 and 2003 and caused a worldwide outbreak before it was contained; no cases have been reported since 2004. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a related coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2.
For the nurse
Care for a suspected case uses standard, contact and airborne precautions with eye protection, in an airborne infection isolation room, as for other new respiratory coronaviruses.
At a glance
| Spanish | síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SRAG) |
|---|---|
| Also written | severe acute respiratory syndrome |
Related terms
infectious disease
An illness caused by a germ such as a bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
pneumonia
An infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.
airborne infection
An infection that spreads through tiny germ-carrying particles that stay floating in the air and can travel some distance.