Nursery World - Ofsted advises staff leaving SARS areas

Early years staff who have returned to Britain from a part of the world where Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has been reported should be allowed to return to work as usual, Ofsted's Early Years Directorate advised settings last week. However, anyone who has recently returned from south-east Asia, the Far East or Toronto, Canada, and suffers from 'a sudden onset of fever together with respiratory symptoms such as a cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing', should stay away from work and phone their GP immediately to arrange a medical assessment, the Directorate said.

However, anyone who has recently returned from south-east Asia, the Far East or Toronto, Canada, and suffers from 'a sudden onset of fever together with respiratory symptoms such as a cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing', should stay away from work and phone their GP immediately to arrange a medical assessment, the Directorate said.

Ofsted issued the advice last Wednesday (30 April) after receiving calls from providers about the position of staff returning to work after being overseas in areas where SARS has been reported.

According to the Health Protection Agency (formerly the Public Health Laboratory Service), the affected areas are Hong Kong, Guangdong, Shanxi and Beijing in China, Singapore, Hanoi in Vietnam and the greater Toronto area in Canada. It said that 'a suspect or probable SARS case is defined by a patient's symptoms, plus a recent history of travel to affected areas, or close contact in the ten days before becoming unwell with a probable SARS case'.

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