SARS in Taiwan: an overview and lessons learned

Objectives: This report aims to describe the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Taiwan between March and July 2003, and to examine the public health response. Methods: Surveillance for SARS was initiated on 14 March 2003. Response activities are described for the isolation of patients; contact tracing; quarantine of contact persons; fever screening for inbound and outbound passengers at the airport; and hospital infection control as assessed by mobile SARS containment teams. Results: Between 14 March and 30 July 2003 a total of 668 probable cases of SARS were reported. Of the 668 cases, 181 (27%) were fatal. Compared to the survivors, fatal cases were more likely to be older (p < 0.001), mate (p < 0.05), exposed through hospital contact (p < 0.001), and have a coexisting medical disorder (p < 0.001). Between 28 March and 30 July a total of 151,270 persons were quarantined. Among them, 46 (3.0/10,000) were subsequently classified as being probable SARS cases. At the time of the mobile team assessments, 46 (53%) hospitals had implemented WHO infection control recommendations. Conclusions: In this outbreak, an emergency plan consisted of patient isolation and strict hospital infection control. (c) 2004 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.