There has recently been a lot of media information with regard to the
outbreak of pneumonia, which has affected some patients in Singapore. This advisory aims to create an awareness of
this illness and to provide answers to commonly asked questions.
Pneumonia essentially means a lung infection caused by germs. Pneumonia usually presents with symptoms
that enable the condition to be easily diagnosed by doctors. The organism causing the pneumonia is also
usually identifiable and treatable with medications like antibiotics. Atypical
pneumonias are caused by organisms that are not so easily identifiable, and the
consequences of the infection can often be more severe. In the case of SARS,
the organism causing the pneumonia has yet to be identified.
What has this
got to do with the flu occurring in Hanoi, Guangdong and Hong Kong?
To date, a
total of 20 cases have been reported in Singapore. The common finding in all these patients is that they have all
been in one of these 3 areas recently and may have picked up the infection
there.
There have
been some fatalities associated with this condition. To date, there have been no deaths reported in Singapore.
Worldwide,
SARS has been reported in Thailand (1 case), Canada (7 cases), Frankfurt (1
case), Indonesia (1 unconfirmed case), Philippines (1 unconfirmed case).
This
condition can spread easily through droplet infection and can cause a person to
be very sick very quickly. Ministry of
Health Singapore has advised us to be more vigilant and to look out for
patients suspected to have this condition to be referred for further
investigation and assessment.
The
condition tends to present initially with the symptoms of the common flu,
namely:
·
Fever and chills,
·
Shortness of breath,
·
Cough, sore throat and blocked, or runny nose.
·
Muscle and joint aches,
·
Weakness and fatigue,
However,
you should be especially wary if you also have the following conditions:
If you do
have the symptoms described above, you should seek urgent medical attention
from any of our clinics. The attending
doctor will examine you and may refer you to have a Chest X-Ray done as soon as
possible. Depending on what the Chest
X-Ray reveals, we may have to refer you for further assessment by the
respiratory physician.
The
Ministry of Health is strongly advising against travelling to these
destinations for the time being until the situation has stabilised.
If you
have to travel to Hong Kong for whatever reasons, our Raffles Medical group
clinic network in Hong Kong has been placed on high alert to offer assistance
should you require medical assistance.
You may call 2525 1730 (during office hours) or 7116 3388 ext 41
(after office hours) whilst in Hong Kong for medical assistance.
To date,
the germ(s) causing SARS have not been identified but on-going investigations
suggest that it may be viral in origin.
There is no known vaccination or medication that you can take which can
offer you protection, instead, the common sense approach is advocated:
·
Avoid crowded places. Keep a fair distance from
people who are ill and are sneezing and coughing openly. The virus is spread through air droplets and
you can pick up the virus through inhalation.
·
Wash your hands frequently to reduce your risk of
picking up the virus. The virus can be
transmitted by hand contact as well.
·
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly, eat wisely and if you
can, keep your stress levels low. Your
primary defence against the any infection is your body’s immune response, which
is related to how healthy you are. Vitamins can help in maintaining a healthy
immune system.
If you have any queries on SARS or need further
information, please contact:
·
Your regular RMG Corporate Services Executive
·
The Corporate Services Department at [email protected] or at 6311
1333
·
RMG Call Centre at 6311 1111