Travel Health Advisory

To: To all U.N. Staff

Medical Services Division

 

Guidelines on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Update #5

Further to the last update issued on Thursday, 24 April 2003, we wish to inform you that WHO has lifted its travel advisory against non-essential travel to Toronto, Canada. Please note that Toronto is still considered an affected area and staff members are recommended to continue following the guidelines listed below for persons coming from and/or returning from an affected area.

As a measure of precaution, WHO continues to advise that persons planning to travel to China (Beijing, Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Shanxi Province) should still consider postponing all but essential travel.

Affected Areas

An affected area is an area in which local chain(s) of transmission of SARS is/are occurring as per the national public health authorities. The current affected areas as of 1 May 2003, as per WHO are:

Country Province/City

  1. Canada Toronto

  2. China Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi Province, Taiwan Province, Tianjin

  3. Mongolia Ulaanbaatar City

  4. Singapore Singapore

MSD guidelines for staff members and visitors, who are coming from and/or returning from an affected area are as follows:

(1) If symptom-free and has not been in close contact1 with a suspected/probable case, s/he should contact the Medical Services Division at 212-963-9298 for advice before coming to work;

(2) If the person has been in close contact or thinks s/he has been in close contact with a patient suspected of SARS by the local public health authority, s/he should not come to work and/or circulate in the UN buildings and should contact the MSD at 212-963-9298 for advice.

(3) If symptoms develop within 10 days of return from an affected area or within 10 days of being in close contact with a suspected case of SARS, including sudden fever (above 38°C/100.4°F), dry cough, shortness of breath and/or difficulty in breathing, s/he should not come to work and/or circulate in the UN buildings, but should:

  • Call their personal physician immediately or call the nearest emergency room;

  •  Inform MSD by calling 212-963-9298

 For more information regarding SARS, you may wish to consult the WHO website at the following addresses:

 http://www.who.int/wer/pdf/2003/wer7812.pdf

 http://www.who.int/csr/sars/guidelines/en/

Sudershan Narula, M.D.

Director

Medical Services Division

OHRM

 _________________

 1 Close contact is defined as caring for, having lived with, or having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a patient with suspected or probable SARS.

Please also refer to

 http://www.who.int/csr/sars/casedefinition/en