SARS
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Severe acute respiratory syndrome |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Government & Politics |
SARS has two meanings. It stands for Severe acute respiratory syndrome (infectious disease) or South African Revenue Service (world government).
Meanings of SARS at a glance
| # | SARS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Severe acute respiratory syndrome | Medical › Infectious Disease |
| 2 | South African Revenue Service | Government & Politics › World Government |
1. Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Coronavirus disease that emerged in southern China in late 2002 and spread to about 29 countries in 2003, causing roughly 8,000 cases and 774 deaths before being contained through isolation and contact tracing. No cases have been reported since 2004.
Example: Hospital pandemic plans written after SARS in 2003 shaped the early COVID-19 response in Toronto.
The causative virus, now called SARS-CoV-1, likely passed from bats through civets to humans. Many cases occurred among health workers, leading to major changes in infection control in Asia and Canada. Since 2020 "SARS" alone is sometimes misused for COVID-19. Pronounced "sars".
2. South African Revenue Service
Government & Politics · World Government Abbreviations
South Africa's tax and customs authority, which collects income tax, VAT and customs duties and administers the eFiling system used by taxpayers.
Example: Submit your return on SARS eFiling before the October deadline.
It was established in 1997 as an autonomous agency. A commission of inquiry later found that its capacity had been deliberately weakened in the 2010s, and rebuilding it became a government priority. In medicine, SARS means severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- RSV – Respiratory syncytial virus
- RVP – Respiratory viral panel
- RZV – Recombinant zoster vaccine
- S. aureus – Staphylococcus aureus
- SARS-CoV-2 – Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
- SSTI – Skin and soft tissue infection
- STD – Sexually transmitted disease
- STEC – Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
More world government abbreviations
- RCMP – Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- RN – National Rally
- RSS – Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- SAR – Special Administrative Region
- SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany
- SVR – Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation
- TD – Teachta Dála
- TEU – Treaty on European Union
See all 103 world government abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.