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News
Low
SARS threat to ADF personnel
Defence
Health says no threat to healthy people
By
Cpl Jonathan Garland
DEFENCE has moved to address concerns about the effect of Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on members and
their families with the release of a Defgram offering advice about
the international epidemic.
Director-General Defence Health Service Air-Cdre Tony Austin said
the disease represented a very low threat to the ADF.
“While the disease is potentially fatal to a small portion
of the Australian population – the elderly, infirm or chronically
ill – it does not at this stage appear to represent a threat
to otherwise healthy individuals,” he said.
“All evidence suggests SARS is not easily spread within
the community – it is a low threat to the average Australian
and commonsense measures will offer significant protection.”
He said Defence had embraced central recommendations from the
Department of Health and Ageing on the SARS epidemic.
“We are assessing the situation daily and if the situation
or the requirements of the ADF were to change, we would immediately
review our guidelines.”
| SARS
information resources |
Defence
Health Services web site: www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs/
SARS-affected areas: www.who.int
Public health units in Australia: www.health.gov.au
or 1800 004 599
Travel advisory:
www.dfat.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins |
| Symptoms |
High
fever, AND
One or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness
of breath, difficulty breathing, AND
One or more of the following:
Travel within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area in which
there are reports of transmission of SARS
Close contact within 10 days of onset of symptoms
with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS
Note: Close contact is defined as having cared for, having
lived with, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions
and/or body fluids of a person with SARS |
Recommendations
outlined in the Defgram include:
-
Strong
recommendation against private or recreational travel to or
through Singapore, Canada (Toronto), Hong Kong, Vietnam and
China (particularly Beijing and Guangdong Province).
-
Postpone non-essential duty travel to or through these countries.
-
Personnel
and families on postings in affected regions take precautions
to avoid exposure.
-
Report
any illness with SARS symptoms immediately to medical staff.
-
International
travellers wear surgical masks near people displaying respiratory
symptoms (cough, sneeze etc.).
-
Meticulous
personal hygiene, including effective hand washing with detergents.
Air-Cdre Austin said the Defence Health Service was part of, and
had, an existing good
relationship with, the Communicable Disease Network of Australia,
a group of Commonwealth and state health specialists.
“That group, which formerly met weekly, is now meeting on
a daily basis to review the situation overseas, look at suspected
cases in Australia and reassess the guidelines for prevention
and treatment that are released to the public.
“When SARS was first detected overseas, a working group
assessed the level of risk to Australians and came up with guidelines
for case detection and management of victims.
“With only four suspected cases and no fatalities in Australia,
those interventions have been extremely effective.”
Air-Cdre Austin said the Defence response had been conservative,
erring on the side of caution and had been entirely in keeping
with the recommendation of specialists in Australia and internationally.
“This is a new condition of which we have poor initial understanding,
has spread widely throughout the world and has a potentially fatal
outcome, so clearly we have to take it seriously.
“It is important, though, that the measures we put in place
are reasonable, practical and do not result in unnecessary fear
or anxiety on the part of the population or curtail our ability
to do our job.”
Anyone looking for more information should visit the Defence
Health web site at www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs
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