April 24 is “Take Our Daughters to Work Day”
The Emory Women’s Center is hosting a breakfast for employees and their daughters on Thursday, April 24 in honor of “Take Our Daughters to Work Day.” Door prizes will be handed out and all will be invited to discuss how the opportunities facing young women today are going to impact the workforce of tomorrow.

The event will run from 9–11 a.m., in Dobbs Hall Parlor. Contact Marsha Hendricks at 404-727-4144 or at mhendo1@emory.edu by Monday, April 22 to reserve a space.


Celebrate Oxford Weekend, April 26
This year’s Oxford Weekend alumni event will be held Saturday, April 26 from
8 a.m.–3 p.m.

The annual celebration will include a road race, kids’ carnival, convocation, performances by local bands and reunions of classes ending in “3's” and “8's.”

Oxford Weekend is free and will take place on the Oxford campus. For more information, contact Marvlyn Kirk at 770-284-8447 or mekirk@emory.edu.


EFCU car sale slated for May 3
The Emory Federal Credit Union (EFCU) will hold a car sale on Saturday, May 3, at North DeKalb Mall from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Cars can be chosen from a large selection of new and previously owned vehicles on hand or special orders may placed through EFCU’s auto locator service. Loan rates will be at 4.95 percent and pre-approvals can be done through applications at www.emoryfcu.com or through applications mailed out to the the University community or at EFCU locations. Auto leases also will be available at the car sale.

For more information, call 404-329-6415.

Dear Emory Community:
We are writing at the request of Michael Johns, executive vice president for health affairs, to address widespread questions from faculty, administrators, and students about the new disease known as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

As yet, SARS has been primarily centered in Asia (Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hanoi) and Toronto, Canada. SARS has not affected any member of the Emory community to our knowledge, nor have we treated any confirmed cases of SARS in the Emory hospitals or clinics. There have been only two confirmed cases of SARS in Georgia (see Georgia Division of Public Health at http://www.ph.dhr.state.ga.us/healthtopics/sars.shtml for the latest statistics).

However, given the fact that SARS is contagious, and capable of being spread like the common cold, we are concerned about the potential for SARS at Emory.

Under these circumstances, we wish to share the following information and advisories:

•To date, cases of SARS in the United States involved persons who have recently traveled from Asia, or who have been in direct contact with such a person.

•Hence, doctors and nurses in all of Emory's emergency rooms and primary care clinics have been instructed to ask a series of routine questions about travel, or personal contact with anyone who has recently returned from Asia or other areas where the disease has occurred whenever persons are present with SARS-like symptoms.

•The clinical symptoms of SARS include a fever of more than 100.4 F; chills, headache, and other flu-like symptoms; and symptoms of respiratory illness. A careful patient history must be taken and chest X-rays must be made to confirm the criteria of SARS are present.

Currently, there is no diagnostic test for the SARS virus although many researchers are working on development of such a test.

•The incubation period is currently believed to be 2–10 days.

For the most credible, up-to-date information on SARS, we recommend checking the following excellent websites, which are refreshed not only daily but almost hourly as new authenticated information becomes available:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/

• World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/sars/en/

Finally, many persons are wondering about the advisability of previously scheduled travel to Asia. We concur with the CDC that at this time, no one should travel to Hong Kong, Hanoi, Singapore or mainland China unless the trip is truly essential. For up-to-the-minute, country-by-country advice, check with the CDC and WHO websites given above.

Of course, SARS is by no means the only illness that should concern international travelers, so in closing, we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the indispensable services offered by Emory's TravelWell Clinic (404-686-5885) and the Emory University Student Health Services Travel Clinic (for Emory students only, 404-727-7551). A stop at one of these clinics to check one's immunization record and country-specific recommendations should be a key item on every international traveler's checklist.With healthy best wishes,

Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH
Vice President for Academic Health Affairs
David S. Stephens, MD
Professor and Executive Vice Chair
Department of Medicine