Objective: To study the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and to investigate the transmission way of the disease.
Methods: A total of 80 clinically diagnosed SARS patients was enrolled in this study.
Results: The result showed that 72/80 patients had exposed to SARS patient, and the least contact time was only 20 minutes, the average incubation period was (7.6 +/- 4.3) days (range 2 to 20 days); 53 (66.3%) subjects were hospital stuffs in this group, and 92.5% hospital stuffs (49/53) and 85.2% non-hospital stuffs (23/27) had the history of direct contact with SARS patients, respectively. The incubation period for the hospital stuffs and non-hospital stuffs were similar. More nurses (54.7%) were infected than doctors (34%) and nurse assistance (11.3%). The lack of isolation and self-protection was the most important factor for the hospital infection, and early isolation could efficiently prevent the spread of the disease.
Conclusion: Close exposure was the most important way for the transmission of SARS and the aggregation of the disease is common. The incubation period was around 7 days. The efficient isolation and self-protection could reduce the infection and prevent the spread of the disease.