Clinical Criteria

1. Asymptomatic or mild respiratory illness

2. Moderate respiratory illness
   Temperature of - 100.4^o C, and One or more clinical findings of respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath or hypoxia)

3. Sever respiratory  illness
   Temperature of 100.4^o  F (38^o C), and One or more clinical findings of respiratory illness (e. g. cough shortness of breath or hypoxia), and

• Radiographic evidence of pneumonia, or

• Respiratory distress syndrome, or

• Autopsy findings consistent with pneumonia or

• Respiratory distress syndrome without an identifiable cause.

Epidemiologic Criteria

• Travel (including transit in an airport) within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area with current or previously documented or suspected community transmission of SARS or

• Close contact within 10 days of  onset of symptoms wwith a person known or suspected to have SARS.

Laboratory Criteria

Confirmed

• Detection of antibody to SARS-CoV in specimens obtained during acute illness or more than 21 days after illness onset, or
   

• Detection of SARS-CoV RNA by RT-PCR confirmed by a second PCR assay, by using a second aliquot of the specimen and a different set of PCR primers, or
   

• Isolation of SARS  CoV.

Negative

• Absence of antibody to SARS-CoV in convalescent serum obtained more than 21 days after symptom onset.

Undetermined

• Laboratory testing either not performed or incomplete.

Case Classification

Probable case: meets the clinical criteria for severe respiratory illness of unknown etiology and epidemiologic criteria for exposure; laboratory criteria confirmed, negative, or undetermined.

Suspect case: meets the clinical criteria for moderate respiratory illness of unknown etiology, and epidemiologic criteria for exposure; laboratory criteria confirmed, negative, or undetermined. 

Exclusion Criteria

A case may be excluded as a suspect or probable SARS case if:

• An alternative diagnosis can fully explain the illness
   

• The case was reported on the basis of contact with an index case that was subsequently excluded as a case of SARS (E.G., another exposure criteria are not present.