SARS Experience
Due to the paucity of data regarding the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, the literature from the SARS epidemic of 2002 and 2003 was reviewed1. The initial SARS case was recorded in November 2002 and the epidemic peaked in May 2003. In total, approximately 8096 patients were infected with 774 deaths. Twenty one percent of all cases occurred in health care workers1. There were clear features of respiratory transmission of disease during aerosol generating procedures (AGP) for SARS patients. In Hong Kong (March 2003) a businessman was intubated at one hospital, and transported to another, leading to the infection of 37 healthcare workers involved in his care.
In Canada, 43% of cases occurred in healthcare workers as a result of aerosol-generating procedures1,2. One instance involved a difficult intubation of a patient who was under investigation for SARS. This intubation was linked to the infection of 7 hospital staff all of whom had been wearing full PPE including n95 masks during patient contact2.