SARS is
a short
form for
Severe
Acute
Respiratory
Syndrome.
SARS is
a
respiratory
disease
never
known to
the
medical
world
before
it was
first
reported
earlier
in March
2003.
SARS was
reported
first in
Guangdong
Province
(China),
Hanoi
(Vietnam)
and
spread
to Hong
Kong,
North
America.
As on
the 1st
April,
2003,
there
are
about 70
cases
reported
in the
US. The
disease
is
reported
to have
spread
to
several
countries,
mainly
through
travelers.
As on
6th
April
2003,
four
more
people,
including
three in
Hong
Kong and
one in
Canada.
Hong
Kong has
reported
39 new
cases of
SARS
bringing
its
total to
800
people
infected.
At least
79
people
have
contracted
the
virus in
Canada,
the
worst
affected
country
outside
Asia. So
far SARS
has
killed
over 90
people
and
infected
2,300
people
worldwide.
What
is SARS?
The
medical
world
knows
little
about
this
condition,
as it is
a
disease
of
recent
origin.
The
World
Health
Organization
(WHO)
and The
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
(CDC),
is a US
Government
recognized
institute
in
Atlanta,
have
released
information
on SARS.
|
What
causes
SARS?
In two
patients
suffering
from
SARS,
the CDC
has
detected
a virus
called
coronavirus,
which
was
never
found in
humans
earlier.
Corona
means a
crown.
The
virus
has
crown
(=corona)
like
shape,
hence
labeled
as
Corona
virus.
It must
be noted
that the
link of
SARS
with
corona
virus is
still
not well
understood,
and
there is
a
possibility
of SARS
to have
causes
other
than the
so-called
coronavirus. Based on symptoms observed |
|
in a
fewpatients
with SARS,
it
appears
that
symptoms
are
similar
to flu
(influenza)
and
pneumonia
(inflammation
of the
lungs).
The
ailment
clinically
could be
called
as
Atypical
Pneumonia
and
Atypical
Influenza.
What are
the
symptoms
of SARS?
As
observed
in some
patients
evaluated
by CDC
and the
WHO, the
symptoms
are as
under:
Within 2
to 7
days of
exposure
to the
infection,
the
symptoms
may
begin
with
low-grade
fever,
which
may be
100.4 or
more.
Fever
may be
associated
with
chills,
headache,
body
ache,
malaise,
and
weakness.
Since
the
virus
seems to
affect
the
respiratory
tract,
the
patient
may
experience
difficulty
in
breathing
and
respiratory
distress.
Due to
the
affection
of the
respiratory
tubes by
the
virus,
there is
insufficiency
of
oxygen,
which
leads to
difficulty
in
breathing.
In 10 to
20 % of
the
cases
reported
so far,
severe
respiratory
distress
has been
observed,
requiring
mechanical
ventilator.
Dry
cough is
an
associated
symptom
The
symptoms
as above
are
similar
to
influenza
(flu)
and
pneumonia;
typical
of any
virus
infection.
Can
homeopathy
help
SARS:
Well,
since
the
disease
is new
in
appearance,
the
opinion
on the
efficacy
of
homeopathy
for SARS
has to
be based
on the
basis of
the
capacity
of the
homeopathic
medicines
to
handle
similar
situations.
Broadly,
it has
to be
noted if
homeopathy
can help
conditions
such as
viral
infections
like
influenza
or viral
pneumonitis.
Fortunately,
it has
been
collective
experience
of the
homeopathic
profession
over
last 200
years
that
homeopathy
has
effective
treatment
for
following
virus
ailments:
Influenza
Viral
pneumonitis
Viral
warts
Viral
infections
such as
Hepatitis
A and B
In the
light of
the
established
role of
homeopathy
for
viral
infection,
there is
little
or no
doubt
that
homeopathy
can help
SARS.
In the
light of
no
definite
medicines
in
allopathy
for SARS
or for
viral
respiratory
diseases,
except
offering
ventilators,
oxygen
support
therapy,
antibiotic
cover
and some
nonspecific
antiviral
medication,
it can
be well
suggested
that the
homeopathy
medicines
are
evaluated
and
incorporated
while
treating
SARS.
The
author
(and
compiler)
of this
write-up
wants to
strongly
suggest
to the
patients,
relatives
and the
health
authorities
of the
concerned
Government
departments,
it will
be wise
to
incorporate
homeopathy
as a
part of
the
strategy
to
address
SARS. |
