I have seen news reports with people in Eastern countries wearing masks due to SARS. What is SARS though? Is it life threatening?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory illness that first infected people in parts of Asia, North America, and Europe in late 2002 and early 2003. SARS is caused by a type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that often cause mild to moderate upper respiratory illness, such as the common cold. Experts believe SARS may have first developed in animals because the virus has been found in civets-a catlike wild animal that is eaten as a delicacy in China-and other animals. In the first outbreak, 8,096 people became sick with SARS and 774 died.

The known treat for sars is antibiotics. They are given sometimes to patients who have been heavily infected with sars. Steriods as well is one medication for sars to reduced the lungs inflammation.

One treatment for sars are serum from people who have been cured from this disease. These people have overcome the sickness and their immune system have already been strengthened.

Does anti-biotic meds for SARS? Are there any known results that this type of meds helps to treat this disease?

Most of the dreaded diseases nowadays, the first step in treating them is to prescribe the patients with anti-biotics. After doctors given this meds they would look and see if the body begins to fight the disease or not.

Antibiotics and vitamin supplements are the most prscribed meds in dealing dreaded diseases. Like sars and swine flu, they dont have any meds yet to cure this disease.