On September 12, 2003 in Atlanta (USA), a meeting was held on the prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of the forum participants included representatives from the American Medical Association, the American College of Therapy, the American Society for Infectious Diseases, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, of the American Thoracic Society and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations. This meeting followed on from the summit held in August and was devoted to the only problem, namely measures to prepare health facilities for adequate assistance to the population in the event of a new severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The meeting started with coverage of general questions. The epidemiology of SARS and its clinical manifestations were reviewed. Overall, the main point of the presentations can be reduced to the fact that the SARS prevention measures were quite effective when put into practice. It was noted that airborne droplets were not always the primary route of transmission. The virulence of the pathogen varies considerably, as can be clearly seen from the incidence analysis in the United States, for example in Toronto, where the number of SARS cases was much higher.

Also during the meeting, the issues of rapid detection of infection, provision of hospital staff, infection control measures, long-term planning for protection against SARS and the provision of information to the public about the disease were reviewed.

In addition to the principles long applied to the treatment of hands, the use of protective masks, glasses and gloves when in contact with patients, it was suggested during the meeting to consider all patients suffering from potentially dangerous cough and provide them with masks while in contact with other patients awaiting admission. It is also recommended to allocate certain rooms for the hospitalization of patients in whom a diagnosis of SARS is suspected in order to reduce the possibility of spread of the infection in patients suffering from non-respiratory diseases. It is proposed to monitor patients and visitors directly, plan stocks of personal protective equipment and add SARS to the bioterrorism response list.

Great importance is attached to information measures for the population and non-medical personnel (for example, pharmacists), to whom patients refer for medical questions.