{"id":9789,"date":"2020-03-19T13:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T17:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=9789"},"modified":"2020-07-27T11:05:03","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T15:05:03","slug":"covid-19-vs-sars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/covid-19-vs-sars\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 vs. SARS: Learn the differences"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the<\/span><\/i> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In December 2019, an outbreak of a deadly mystery respiratory disease (which would come to be known as COVID-19) spread rapidly throughout Wuhan, China, before crossing borders and being named a pandemic by the World Health Organization. But if you can remember back to February 2003, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) became the <\/span>first pandemic of the 21st century<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just over 17 years ago, SARS was reported in Asia and a global outbreak infected a total of 8,098 people worldwide. Of these, 774 died, according to <\/span>WHO<\/span><\/a>. Later, it was found that SARS was caused by a coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Sound familiar? While there are similarities, these two respiratory illnesses are quite distinct. Learn the differences between COVID-19 and SARS and the best practices to prevent infection.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes SARS and COVID-19?<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/h2>\n

Both SARS and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses that are caused by a specific human coronavirus. But the important fact to note here is that they are caused by <\/span>different <\/span><\/i>specific coronaviruses. COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus called <\/span>SARS-CoV-2<\/span><\/a>, according to the Centers of Disease Prevention. SARS is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus, or SARS-CoV. So what\u2019s a coronavirus?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCoronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are defined by the lipid envelope that surrounds them,\u201d says Andrew Pavia, MD, the chief of division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Utah. \u201cThis casing of fats protects the virus\u2014and that\u2019s how they survive on surfaces for a variable length of time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of SARS and COVID-19?<\/b><\/h2>\n

SARS can be difficult to recognize because it mimics other respiratory diseases, such as influenza, according to <\/span>John Hopkins Medicine<\/span><\/a>. Symptoms of SARS are flu-like, beginning with a fever higher than 100.4\u00b0 F (38\u00b0 C). SARS symptoms progress to include:<\/span><\/p>\n