Table 2.
Comparison of the Hospital Preparedness of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus—Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, Thailand
| Characteristic | SARS | MERS |
|---|---|---|
| First reported case [28, 35] | November 2002 | September 2012 |
| Pathogen [28, 35] | SARS coronavirus | MERS coronavirus |
| Transmitting pathway [28, 35] | Respiratory droplets | Respiratory droplets |
| Airborne transmission [28, 35] | Possible | Uncertain |
| First case in Thailand [36] | March 2003 | June 2015 |
| Total confirmed cases in Thailand [36] | 1 | 3 |
| Total confirmed cases in BIDI | 1 | 3 |
| Hospital preparedness and response plan | Not developed | Developed |
| Triage system | Not well established | Well established |
| No. of airborne isolation rooms | None | 5 |
| PPE including N95 respirators and hand hygiene supplies | Adequate | Adequate |
| Molecular diagnostics in the institute | Not available | Available |
| Environmental cleaning procedures | Implemented | Implemented |
| Infectious waste management | Implemented | Implemented |
| Business continuity plan | Not developed | Developed |
Abbreviations: BIDI, Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute; MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome; PPE, personal protective equipment; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome.