SANTE FE SPRINGS, Calif. - IQAir North America announced today that the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HKHA) has selected IQAir's advanced air filtration systems as a new tool for combating the SARS virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the most effective strategy in preventing another major SARS outbreak will be finding ways to limit transmission of the disease. The company says that HKHA's selection marks the first time specialized room air cleaners will be used as a control measure against SARS.
Much like the common flu, SARS is spread by close contact. When a person with SARS coughs or sneezes, or even during normal breathing, they contaminate the surrounding air with tiny droplets of infected matter. Someone in close proximity of the infected person can then become infected by breathing the contaminated air. According to the CDC, "It is possible that SARS can also spread more broadly through the air." Since there is no specific antiviral treatment for SARS, the most effective strategy is containment. While it is the WHO's first objective to prevent the international spread of this deadly disease, local health care institutions have begun looking for infection control measures that will help prevent further infections inside the hospitals themselves.