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    Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
    Diagnosis and treatment

    By Mayo Clinic Staff
    Dec. 24, 2025
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    Diagnosis

    When SARS first appeared, no specific tests checked for it. Now various tests can help detect the virus. These include tests of the blood, stool, nose and throat. But no known spread of the virus that causes SARS has happened anywhere in the world since 2004.

    Treatment

    Scientists haven′t yet found an effective treatment for SARS. And antiviral medicines that clear up infections caused by viruses haven′t shown much benefit. Antibiotic medicines only work against bacteria, not viruses.

    Hospital care for SARS involves easing symptoms while the SARS virus runs its course. Care might include receiving fluids through a vein and extra oxygen if needed.
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    1. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/. Accessed June 9, 2023.
    2. McIntosh K. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 9, 2023.
    3. Jong EC, et al., eds. Severe acute respiratory syndrome and coronavirus disease 2019. In: Netter's Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 9, 2023.
    4. Long SS, et al., eds. Human coronaviruses. In: Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Disease. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2023. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 9, 2023.
    5. After travel tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/after-trip. Accessed June 9, 2023.
    6. Frequently asked questions about SARS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sars/about/faq.html. Accessed June 9, 2023.

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