Olsen et al. (2003) studied the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS). The authors argued that the rapid spread of SARS was significantly influenced by the
fact that most of the infected persons traveled on aircraft to different destinations in the world.
According to this article, the common symptoms of SARS are shortness of breath and difficulty
breathing. The authors interviewed passengers and crew members ten days after they had taken
several trips with SARS-infected patients. In one of the flights carrying 119 persons, 22 patients
tested positive for the disease and exhibited symptoms within four days. Among other factors,
the transmission of the disease was influenced by the proximity of rows. Olsen et al. (2003)
concluded that transmission of SARS might occur on aircraft when infected persons fly during
the symptomatic phase of their illness.
Jefferson et al. (2008) found that implementing barriers to transmission such as N95
masks, hygienic measures, and isolation are effective measures to stop the spread of infectious
diseases such as SARS. Simple public measures aimed at reducing the transmission rate of
respiratory viruses were increasingly effective (Jefferson et al., 2008). This includes structured
programs such as patient instructions and education. The authors noted that resource-intensive
measures such as social distancing and screening at entry ports have minimal impact on the
transmission of infectious diseases. The recommended strategies to reduce the transmission of
respiratory viruses include frequent washing of hands, wearing masks, and isolation of people
with suspected infection. SARS Transmission and Prevention

However, the strategies of hospital infection control practiced at the facility where I am
attached areas discussed herein. The first one is regular washing of hands with warm water and
soap for at least 20 seconds. The facility encourages patients and staff to wash their hands before meals, when providing care, and between caring for patients. Secondly, the facility provides
infectious control education, where staff members and patients alike are enlightened on how to
identify common infections and how to prevent their spread. Thirdly, the facility where I am
attached control hospital infections by encouraging the use of gloves. Health providers are
required to wear gloves when in contact with blood and bodily fluids. Also, the facility is always
keen on disinfecting surfaces, which means using bleach-containing cleansers when cleaning
surfaces. Lastly, the health facility I am attached to ensures that patients do not walk barefoot but
wear slippers when walking around the hospital. This is because nurses and visitors entering the
room may carry pathogens into the room from other areas.
The measures proposed by Gawande relating to the prevention of hospital infection
control include movement restriction, sanitizing, and cleaning of public vehicles. Additionally,
Gawande recommends spacing of passengers in aircraft, especially among asymptomatic people.
Moreover, the articles by Gawande provide that people who have suspected infectious viruses
such as SARS should be isolated. The health care facility where I am attached recommends mass
testing, wearing of N95 masks, and social distancing as the most effective strategies to prevent
the spread of infectious viruses.
Exposure in a health care setting or hospital-acquired infections is caused by viral,
bacterial, and fungal pathogens (Grasselli et al., 2021). Hospital-acquired infections are on the
rise because both care providers and patients do not practice appropriate hand hygiene. Research
studies reveal that, on average, health care services providers wash their hands less than half of
the minimum required times (Grasselli et al., 2021). The leading health care setting infections
include clostridium difficile infections and surgical site infections (Grasselli et al., 2021). On the
other hand, community exposure means a situation where a large number of people are infected with a disease, but the direct cause of transmission is not known (Grasselli et al., 2021). For
instance, community transmission of covid-19 is characterized by many infections without a
known chain of transmission. More
There are several evidence-based approaches for disease control and prevention in
society. The first one is hand hygiene, as providers' hands are responsible for transferring
pathogens (Nicola et al., 2020). Secondly, I would recommend using personal protective
equipment, including masks, gloves, and earwear (Nicola et al., 2020). This is because the
protective gear plays a pivotal role in reducing the rate of infection transmission. The third
recommendation is practicing respiratory hygiene (Nicola et al., 2020). In other words,
encourage everyone in a health facility to cover their mouths when they cough. Also, I would
recommend safe injection practices by sterilizing instruments before use.
The recommendations have a slight difference from those practiced at the health care
facility I am attached to. For instance, the health care facility I am attached to does not sterilize
instruments before their use, increasing chances for infection exposure. Additionally, the facility
staff do not always have protective equipment and still provide services. This is among the most
common ways through which virus transmission happens. Moreover, healthcare providers do not
wash their hands as frequently as they should, which increases the risk of infection.
One of the most reasonable preventive policies is lockdown. Lockdowns were imposed in
various states in early March 2020 as a way to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus
(Gawande, 2020). However, John Ioannidis did not see lockdown as an effective policy to
prevent the spread of the virus. Ioannidis, a medical professor at Stanford University, became
famous after his vigorous assessment of disease treatments (Jamison, 2020). He did not
understand why the government and health experts urged people to stay home to avoid infection (Jamison, 2020). In a documentary interview, Ioannidis speculated that Covid-19 might be less
dangerous than assumed. He added that the biggest danger was not the virus but locking down
the country to prevent its spread. SARS Transmission and Prevention;
The video would later be removed on YouTube on the basis that it violated Covid-19
misinformation policy (Jamison, 2020). It also publicly discredited public health research and
pushed for the reopening of the economy. Ioannidis’s minority viewpoint that lockdown is not
necessary for containing Covid-19 infection has attracted serious criticism. For instance, his
colleague identified as Steven Goodman said that sometimes debates on evidence could confuse
people and undermine the consistent messaging need for public health. This would make a
country completely lose the war against covid-19 (Jamison, 2020).
In conclusion, Gawande recommended some strategies to reduce the spread of SARS
infection, including wearing N95 masks, hygienic measures, self-isolation, and infectious control
education. However, the strategy practiced at the facility where I practice include regular
washing of hands, patient instructions and education, use of gloves, and using bleach-containing
cleanser when cleaning surfaces. The evidence-based approaches to prevent hospital-acquired
infections include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, and covering the mouth when
coughing. Lockdown is an example of policies aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19 in the
United States.