Antibiotic therapy

Anti-bacterial agents are routinely prescribed for SARS because its presenting features are non-specific and rapid laboratory tests that can reliably diagnose the SARS-CoV virus in the first few days of infection are not yet available. Appropriate empirical antibiotics are thus necessary to cover against common respiratory pathogens as per national or local treatment guidelines for community-acquired or nosocomial pneumonia (Niederman et al 2001). Upon exclusion of other pathogens, antibiotic therapy can be withdrawn.

In addition to their antibacterial effects, some antibiotics are known to have immunomodulatory properties, notably the quinolones (Dalhoff & Shalit 2003) and macrolides (Labro & Abdelghaffar 2001). Their effect on the course of SARS is undetermined.