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Assessment of Intervention Measures for the 2003 SARS Epidemic in Taiwan by Use of a Back-Projection Method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Paul S. F. Yip ,
Y. H. Hsieh ,
Ying Xu ,
K. F. Lam ,
C. C. King  and
H. L. Chang
Paul S. F. Yip*
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Y. H. Hsieh
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics, NationalChung Hsing University, Taichung
Ying Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
K. F. Lam
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
C. C. King
Affiliation:
Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
H. L. Chang
Affiliation:
Center for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taipei, Taiwan
*
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (sfpyip@hku.hk)
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Abstract

Objectives.

To reconstruct the infection curve for the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Taiwan and to ascertain the temporal changes in the daily number of infections that occurred during the course of the outbreak.

Method.

Back-projection method.

Results.

The peaks of the epidemic correspond well with the occurrence of major infection clusters in the hospitals. The overall downward trend of the infection curve after early May corresponds well to the date (May 10) when changes in the review and classification procedure were implemented by the SARS Prevention and Extrication Committee.

Conclusion.

The major infection control measures taken by the Taiwanese government over the course of the SARS epidemic, particularly those regarding infection control in hospitals, played a crucial role in containing the outbreak.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , May 2007 , pp. 525 - 530
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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