Guidelines Issued for Flight Crews about SARS

Guidelines for flight crewmembers regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have been published by the Centers for Disease Control. Crewmembers who are concerned that a passenger traveling from a SARS-infected area may be seriously
ill with a respiratory illness should separate the ill passenger from other passengers as much as possible, and either provide a surgical mask for the ill passenger or give him or her tissues to cover mouth and nose when coughing. It’s important to wash hands after contact with any ill passenger. The captain is required by law to report the illness to the nearest U.S. quarantine station. Quarantine officials will arrange for appropriate medical assistance to be available when the airplane lands.