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How to prevent SARS?

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English | Chinese WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Always take your medicine as directed. If you feel it is not helping, consult your doctor.
If you are taking medicine that makes you drowsy, do not drive or use heavy equipment.
If you do not have to limit the amount of liquids you drink, drink 8 to 10 (soda-can sized) glasses of water each day. This helps thin the sputum so it can be coughed up more easily.
Stay indoor during very cold or hot weather, or on days when the air pollution is high. This will make it easier to breathe and will help control your cough.
Rest at home until you feel better. You may return to work or school when your temperature is around 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C). Slowly increase your activity. You may feel weak and tired for up to 6 weeks after your illness.
Because you have had pneumonia, it may be easier for you to get other lung infections. Try to stay away from people who have colds or the flu.
Quit smoking. It harms the lungs. If you are having trouble quitting, ask your doctor for help.
ATYPICAL PNEUMONIA
Atypical pneumonia refers to pneumonia caused by certain bacteria -- namely, Legionella, Mycoplasma and Chlamydia. While atypical pneumonias have been commonly associated as a whole with milder forms of pneumonia, pneumonia due to Legionella, in particular, can be quite severe and lead to high mortality rates.

Mycoplasma pneumonia often affects younger people and may be associated with manifestations outside of the lungs (such as anemia and rashes), and neurological syndromes (such as meningitis, myelitis, and encephalitis). Severe forms of Mycoplasma pneumonia have been described in all age groups.

Chlamydia pneumonia occurs year round. It is usually mild with a low mortality rate.
Legionella pneumoniahas a high mortality rate. Elderly individuals, smokers, and people with chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems are at higher risk for this type of pneumonia. Contact with contaminated aerosol systems (like infected air conditioning systems) has also been associated with pneumonia due to Legionella.
Symtoms of atypical pneumonia:
- chills
- fevers
- cough -- may be dry or productive of phlegm
- headache
- muscular stiffness and aching
- rapid breathing may be present
- shortness of breath may be present
- loss of appetite
- fatigue
- confusion (especially with Legionella)
- rash (especially with Mycoplasma)
-diarrhea (especially with Legionella)
People with suspected pneumonia should undergo a medical evaluation, including a thorough physical exam and a chest X-ray. Depending on the severity of illness, additional studies may be required.
The mainstay of treatment for atypical pneumonia is antibiotic therapy. In mild cases, treatment with oral antibiotics at home may be appropriate. Severe cases (especially Legionella pneumonia) may require hospitalisation with intravenous antibiotics and oxygen supplementation.
Most patients with pneumonia due to Mycoplasma or Chlamydia do well with appropriate antibiotic therapy. In the case of pneumonia due to Legionella, severe illness occurs particularly among the elderly and those individuals with chronic diseases and weakened immune systems. It is associated with a higher mortality rate. Possible complications include respiratory failure especially with Legionella pneumonia, and rash and hemolytic anaemia especially with mycoplasma pneumonia.
Seek medical evaluation if you develop fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. While there are numerous causes for these symptoms, you will need to be evaluated for pneumonia. There are no proven methods for preventing atypical pneumonia, and no vaccinations are available at this time for atypical pneumonias.

clean metallic surface with 70% alcohol

English | Chinese 香港大學微生物學系助理教授黃世賢表示，肺 炎主要分病毒或病菌性肺炎，最多人感染是肺炎鏈球菌， 或由流感引致的肺炎，一般死亡率約一成，預防受感染的 方法最重要避免接觸患者、保持個人��生、接觸過唾液或鼻涕後要洗手、不要完全依賴口罩預防感染。

他指出，肺炎只是一種肺部感染的統稱，可由多種病菌或 病毒引致，其中非典型肺炎可以由支原菌屬、衣原體、退 伍軍人等病菌、流感、副流感及腺病毒引起。病人會出現 咳嗽，發高燒及痰中帶血的病徵。但非典型肺炎難以找出 病源，如無法透過培植細菌或病毒找出病源，而且病人病 發時間較長，病徵有時會不太明顯。

避免到人多地方
傳染途徑方面，主要透過直接吸入患者的分泌物感染；或 病人本身的鼻腔已帶有致病源，當病源進入肺部後病發； 又或是經血液進入肺部感染。預防方法主要是避免接觸患 者及喉鼻分泌物，經常保持個人��生及洗手、打噴嚏時要掩鼻、老弱者避免到人多地方。

至於口罩能否預防感染，則要視乎市民有否接觸患者，或 曾到患者出現的地方，若是近距離接觸患者，擔心會直接 吸入患者的分泌物，故當醫護人員處理患者喉嚨分泌物時 ，必須戴上口罩，而採用醫院用的「N95」型口罩，保護力最強。

可考慮注射疫苗
市民平日在街上，未必接觸到患者，所以未必需要戴上口罩；但如果進出醫院或診所等病人較多的地方，戴上口罩 是預防方法之一，而且進出一定要洗手。至於老人、長期 病患者及切除脾臟的病人，因扺抗力較低，可考慮注射預防流感或肺鏈球菌的疫苗。