How is SARS transmitted?

Though we are still in the process of trying to understand exactly how SARS is transmitted between humans, it is generally believed that the most common mode of transmission is through water droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

This means that transmission is most likely to occur in close proximity to someone who is infected or by touching a surface where these water droplets have fallen, like a countertop. Current research indicates that SARS is not transmitted through the air except in very close proximity; the water droplets will quickly fall to the floor or other surfaces when they are sneezed or coughed up and do not remain suspended.