- Probable and suspected SARS patients may be hospitalized or may be seen as outpatients. They are provided the treatment judged best for their disease, usually according to expressed or published recommendations. The best treatment for SARS is not yet known, and there have been no studies evaluating therapies. Outpatients are seen three times a week for 2 weeks, once a week for 4 more weeks, and then at 6 months. Patients have mouth and throat swabs taken three times a week for the first 2 weeks, then once a week for 4 more weeks. Blood is drawn three times a week for the first 2 weeks, then once at weeks 3, 4, and 6. If virus is still detectable after 6 weeks, nose washings and throat swabs are repeated until no virus is detected for 3 weeks in a row. In addition, patients provide urine and stool samples, have a chest x-ray and electrocardiogram, and undergo bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage. For the bronchoscopy, a bronchoscope (pencil-thin flexible tube) is passed into the large airways of the lung, allowing the physician to examine the airways. Cells and secretions from the airways are rinsed from the lung with salt water. A brush the size of a pencil tip is passed through the bronchoscope to scrape cells lining the airways and pieces of tissue are collected for analysis.