Prospective case series reports clinical features and viral pathogens in SARS patients, highlighting high morbidity and novel coronavirus involvement.
Key Points
To describe the initial epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory diagnostic characteristics of early severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases.
Prospective collection of epidemiologic, clinical, and diagnostic data from the first 10 identified SARS cases in Canada in March 2003.
Multi-laboratory analysis of clinical specimens across local, provincial, national, and international facilities to identify the causative viral agent.
Presenting clinical features included fever (100%), dry cough (100%), dyspnea (80%), chest radiographic infiltrates (100%), and lymphopenia (89%).
Critical disease requiring mechanical ventilation occurred in 5 of 10 patients, resulting in 3 deaths and clinical improvement in 5 patients.
Virologic testing isolated a novel coronavirus from 5 of 9 patients and human metapneumovirus from 5 of 9 patients, with 4 patients testing positive for both.