By Alexia Saoulli
THE HEALTH Ministry remains on high alert and is prepared to deal with any potential outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Medical Services Head, Constantinos Mallis said yesterday.
Speaking after a meeting with health ministry employees responsible for handling the atypical pneumonia, Mallis confirmed there had been no incident of the flu-like illness on the island.
On Friday the organisation listed 27 countries that had reported possible SARS cases including Australia, Brazil, South Africa, the Philippines, Ireland, Germany and Italy.
“So far we have not had any incidents, or suspected cases, or had anyone from an affected area informing us that they could develop this disease,” he said.
However, he recommended that people wishing to travel to affected areas, should postpone their trips if they were not necessary.
According to the WHO: “an ‘affected area’ is an area in which local chain(s) of transmission of SARS is/are occurring as reported by the national public health authorities.” These are Canada (Toronto), Singapore (Singapore), China (Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Taiwan Province), the United States (areas not reported), United Kingdom (London) and Viet Nam (Hanoi).
Taiwan, the UK and the US were areas with limited local transmission, said the WHO, with no evidence of international spread from the area since March 15 and no transmission, other than close person-to-person contact.
At today’s meeting the officials discussed new evidence from the internet and WHO updates on SARS.
Mallis said passengers leaving affected regions were given health checks and had to fill in questionnaires on their state of health. Another precaution the government had taken was to remind airlines to issue general health declarations before landing, which was common practice in light of infectious disease outbreaks. Aircraft staff flying to Cyprus had also been told to check passengers for symptoms so that the captain could alert the airport. If someone displayed SARS symptoms onboard the flight, the pilot would inform the landing airport, so that the passenger could be taken to either Paphos or Larnaca airport’s clinic for a check up.
A special facility had already been set up at Limassol hospital where any people showing symptoms of the virus would be taken, he said. Mallis added if the person did not need to go to hospital, he or she would be confined to their homes under medical supervision.
Mallis reassured the public that Asian students studying on the island posed no threat because they only travelled home during the holidays. Mallis said ministry officials would be meeting with the Pancyprian Medical Association next Thursday to discuss the measures they had implemented to deal with a possible outbreak in Cyprus and to assess whether the public should be further informed on the disease.
