Table 1:
Overview of indices for knowledge about SARS and infection control measures
| Knowledge about SARS |
Total possible score |
|
|---|---|---|
| Symptoms of SARS | 7 | |
| Fever | ||
| Cough | ||
| Chills/shivering spells | ||
| Muscle aches | ||
| Breathing difficulty/shortness of breath | ||
| Flu-like symptoms | ||
| Diarrhoea | ||
| Spread of SARS | ||
| How is SARS spread? | 18 | |
| Contact with infected person | ||
| Droplet transmission | ||
| Bodily fluids | ||
| Going to SARS-affected areas | ||
| How long would it take for a person to become sick if he/she is exposed to SARS? | ||
| Incubation period (3–10 days) | ||
| Who is at risk of contracting SARS? | ||
| People sharing same household with a SARS patient | ||
| Health care workers taking care of SARS patients | ||
| People who travelled to SARS-affected countries | ||
| People with contact with SARS patients | ||
| Inpatients | ||
| Visitors to hospitals | ||
| Taxi drivers | ||
| People who had been to Pasir | ||
| Panjang Wholesale | ||
| Centre (community area where a significant number of people contracted SARS) | ||
| Where are people likely to get SARS? | ||
| Home | ||
| Health care institutions | ||
| Public transport | ||
| Markets | ||
| SARS affected countries | ||
| Knowledge about protective measures against SARS | 11 | |
| Personal hygiene | ||
| Healthy lifestyle | ||
| Monitoring of temperature daily | ||
| Avoidance of overseas travel | ||
| Wearing of mask | ||
| Clean environment | ||
| Staying at home if unwell | ||
| Seeking medical attention if unwell | ||
| Avoidance of crowded places | ||
| Staying away from SARS affected areas | ||
| Avoidance of doctor hopping | ||
| Treatment of SARS | 3 | |
| Is there a cure for SARS? | ||
| Yes/no | ||
| What percentage of SARS patients die in Singapore? | ||
| Mortality (10–12%) | ||
| Do you think early detection and treatment will help a SARS patient to recover? | ||
| Yes/no | ||
| Knowledge of infection control measures | ||
| SARS control measures implemented at TTSH | 8 | |
| Protective gear for staff | ||
| Monitoring of temperature | ||
| Stringent personal hygiene | ||
| Provision of masks for all patients during SARS screening | ||
| Patients with low risk of SARS seen by different team of doctors | ||
| Patients admitted for observation housed in individual rooms | ||
| ‘No Visitor’ rule for patients | ||
| Free transport/ambulance service | ||
| Infection control procedures implemented at other health care institutions | 7 | |
| Protective gear for staff | ||
| Monitoring of temperature | ||
| Stringent personal hygiene | ||
| ‘No Visitor’ rule for patients for all public hospitals | ||
| Separation/isolation of SARS patients | ||
| Directing high fever/sick patients to TTSH | ||
| Health declaration/screening/protective gear for visitors | ||
| Precautionary measures adopted for air and sea passengers | 3 | |
| Health Declaration cards for all air and sea travelers to Singapore | ||
| Sending passengers with SARS symptoms to TTSH for examination | ||
| Monitoring of temperature/thermal scanner | ||
| People who need special ambulance transport arrangements | 4 | |
| People who have SARS symptoms, have contact with a SARS patient and/or visited a SARS affected country | ||
| Persons on HQO | ||
| Cases identified by doctors | ||
| Cases identified during screenings at entry points to Singapore | ||