Major Health Issues Affecting Canada (sars and H1n1)

In the late 2000 – 2010, Canada had to go through an outbreak of infectious diseases (SARS and H1N1). They both cause respiratory illness but differ with regards to a variety of properties. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory illness that first situated in Singapore and parts of Asia, North America as well as Europe in late 2002 and 2003. H1N1, on the other hand, is known as swine flu (because in the past people who caught it had direct contact with pigs); its known to infect the respiratory tract of pigs resulting in nasal secretions as well as other flu-like symptoms that are common in animals. Causes of SARS and H1N1 SARS is caused by a type of coronavirus (a common virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat); it affects the respiratory system.

While H1N1, on the other hand, is thought to have first originated in pigs. Before the outbreak of SARS, coronaviruses were particularly dangerous to humans although it had been known to cause severe disease in animals. It was first recognized in 2003. H1N1 was discovered by humans somewhere in 2009 as a result of a pandemic (an outbreak of a disease worldwide or over a whole country). How is SARS and H1N1 spread H1N1 is known to last about three to seven days if there are more serious infections they would last longer for about nine or ten days. This disease is very contagious and spreads through saliva and mucus particles. Common methods of spreading include sneezing, coughing and coming in contact with a germ surface area. Transmission of SARS, on the other hand, is via close to person to person contact either by kissing, hugging, sharing food and drinking utensils.

Compared to H1N1, SARS does not spread easily from person to person, it only occurs when coming in contact with an infected individual. Symptoms of SARS are that patients might experience diarrhea and after 2 to 7 days and they might develop a dry cough.

Other symptoms include; dizziness, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, and sore throats. However, there still has not been a specific symptom of SARS. Symptoms of H1N1 usually occur from about 3 to 10 days of infection and include the chills, fever, coughing, body aches, fatigue etc. As the SARS disease spread around Canada, so did its political, sociological, and economic repercussions. The SARS outbreak in Toronto occurred in two waves - March to April and April to July 2003. Between February and September 2003 Health Canada reported 438 probable or suspected cases of SARS resulting in 43 deaths including 1 in the Greater Toronto Area. Hospitals were able to cope with the huge surge of patients and costed the care system for about $2 million. TreatmentsSo far there is no confirmed treatment that works for every person who has SARS. Antiviral medications and steroids are sometimes given to reduce lung swelling but aren’t effective or everyone. In most cases, the treatment for H1N1 is only a symptom relief. If you have a respiratory disease, your doctor may prescribe medications to help relieve your symptoms. In conclusion, researchers are currently working on a vaccine for SARS. Because there is no treatment or cure for SARS, it's important to take as many precautions as possible.

Some of the best ways to prevent SARS to spread is if you’re in close contact with someone that has the disease you should wash your hands frequently, wear disposable gloves if you’re touching any infected bodily fluids, wear a surgical mask if you’re in the same room as the person infected and always disinfect the surfaces that may have been contaminated and wash all personal items. For H1N1, the centers of Disease Control prevention recommends flu vaccine for all people over 6 months of age. Regardless of the differences, individuals should take the appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of these viruses.