Huntsman announces SARS guidelines

Interim UW President Lee Huntsman released a statement late yesterday afternoon regarding guidelines the University will follow to ensure the safety of the UW community from the severe acute respiratory (SARS) virus.

SARS has recently spread to Toronto, where two elderly women reportedly died from it Wednesday.

The policies primarily apply to students and faculty traveling to a SARS-affected area for the summer and returning next fall. Places hardest hit include China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Students from those areas attending the UW for summer school, and new students, visitors and lecturers coming to the UW from those areas are also affected.

The UW will allow students from the affected areas to attend the University, but they must comply fully with the policy recommendations and undergo health screening at Hall Health.

Those who have been in close contact with individuals who have the disease also fall under the guidelines.

The University mandates those people fitting the criteria undergo a screening process in order to determine they are symptom-free for a 10-day period.

"We want to do everything we prudently can to ensure that our University community does not become the flashpoint for an outbreak of SARS," Huntsman said in a statement sent via e-mail.

Ernest Morris, vice president for student affairs, has been monitoring the developments of SARS locally and worldwide since the outbreak began. As chairman of the University's Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases -- which comprises UW physicians, health officers, environmental health specialists and other staff -- Morris and members of the committee developed the guidelines for the University.

The guidelines are subject to change, as more information is obtained or the virus is

contained.

The flu-like illness, with such symptoms as high fever, severe dry coughing and difficulty breathing, has killed 29 people in the Toronto area. Canada is the only place outside Asia to report deaths from SARS. There have been no confirmed SARS cases in the United States or in Washington.

Huntsman said available evidence suggests SARS is transmitted through physical contact, sharing food or food utensils, or speaking closely with an infected individual. SARS is not transmitted through casual contact or by merely being in the vicinity of someone carrying the virus.

"Attending regular University activities, such as classes, seminars, lectures, athletic events, commencements and so forth does not appear to pose a risk of transmitting the disease," Huntsman said.

However, Huntsman said the University strongly discourages University-business travel to any area the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a SARS travel advisory.

Along with these polices, the University is providing a number of educational materials and procedures to assure the prevention of the virus.

"It is our hope," said Huntsman, "that the precautions ... will soon be unnecessary, as the disease is contained and diagnostic and treatment methods are developed."

The University's SARS guidelines are available on the Web at www.hallhealthcenter.com or depts.washington.edu/ovpsa.