Quote:

---

And, seen some stupid thoughts like 'SARS can be a potential biological weapon.' well, as far as I know, Pox virus is much easier to make/use, who is stupid enough to invest so much money/energy to make a unstable biological weapon using sars? not in next 50 years, at least.

---

Quote:

---

Most densely populated urban centres (such as Hong Kong and Singapore) have by far the greatest proportion of the population infected, suggesting that the virus is highly correlated with very high population densities. Recent SARS alerts from the *WHO suggests that SARS is not as highly contagious through informal contacts as previously suspected, but is spread mainly though close personal contact as may be the case with health workers and immediate family.

---

Quote:

---

Next, let is remember that SARS with 300 deaths and 5,000 infections does not even come close to the threat to the world as a whole that Malaria, TB, or HIV AIDS does. These diseases mainly affect developing and poorer countries. According to a WHO report these diseases cause 5 Million deaths and 300 Million illnesses every year. In the ten minutes you take to read this article, 20 African children will die of Malaria (PDF). SARS so far seems not to respect boundaries of class or wealth. SARS strikes at the already developed economic pillars of tourism and direct investment in the case of more developed countries such as China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan. To the rich man SARS is a disaster, to the poor man it's insignificant.

---

Quote:

---

Chances of Recovery
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and evidence here, in about 80% to 90% of cases, the patient gradually recovers. About 4% to 5% of patients pass away despite good intensive care.

---

Quote:

---

When looking at the battlegrounds of a war we sometimes must remind ourselves of the cost for such a war. The human race has begun to wage war against an insidiously new and deadly disease. We must ask ourselves, "What price are we willing to pay to keep the lives of our loved ones safe?" Is it any less horrifying to look upon pictures of this nature? A sobering "No" is my response. It's a very sad thing to watch, however this is only one aspect of the ongoing struggle to save millions of lives every day.

When confronted with a catastrophic disease such as SARS we must all search ourselves for the answer.

We must ask:

1. What will happen to my family, friends, and neighbors if I do not act?

2. What will happen if I fight this disease on it's native terrain? What if we simply killed everyone infected? What then?

3. Will that stop the disease or will we become that which we are trying to combat, adding to the massgraves caused by SARS?

4. Am I to be human? How can I show my compassion?

5. How can I learn more about this new devastating sickness? To what extent do I need to educate myself and others on the dangers of encountering this very real threat to all our lives?

I ask myself questions like that and I remain certain that education is the key to combatting an illness of such destructive magnitude. In an effort to further the cause for fighting SARS I shall post some helpful information for everyone to read. If anyone would like to bypass this post and go directly to the cdc website then here is the link:
cdc.gov

What is SARS? SARS is severe acute respiratory syndrome. It is also known as viral respiratory illness syndrome caused by a coronavirus. Because of this it is also referred to as SARS-CoV. It was first discovered in Asia in February 2003. In over a few month's time it spread to 24 countries around the world in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. 774 people have been killed due to the illness as of yesterday.

On the cdc website you can read all about this new disease. I will copy what they say about how it's spread and some other pertanent information.

(copied from the website)
The main way that it seems to spread is by close person-to-person contact. The virus that causes SARS is thought to be transmitted most readily by respiratory droplets(droplet spread) produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Droplet spread can happen when droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled a short distance(generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of persons who are nearby. The virus also can spread when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with the infectious droplets and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eyes. In addition, it is possible that the SARS virus might be spread more broadly through the air(airborne spread) or by other ways that are not now known.
(copied from the website)

The symptoms of SARS are as follows:
1. patient begins with high fever
2. secondary sypmtoms include headache, discomfort, and body aches
3. after 2-7 days patient may develop a dry cough
4. most patients develop pneumonia

As you can see this disease is an insidious-natured illness because it presents itself with flu-like or common cold symptoms. Because it is a coronavirus this might explain why its victims present with such common symptoms. While masking its true nature it leads people to think they simply have a cold or the flu. This is not the case because the patient has an end result of pneumonia. For anyone who does not already know there many different types of pnuemonia. Pneumonia is usually characterized by a lower respiratory tract infection inside lungs that can cause severe tissue scarring in the alveoli and the pooling of fluids in the lungs thus eventually drowning the victims in their own fluids. Pneumonia is most lethal to anyone with a history of airway complications, or the very young, and the very old as these are people whose lungs are not strong enough to combat the illness. In those who have lungs strong enough to survive the illness it leaves behind severe tissue scarring that can cause problems with any future respiratory illnesses. In other words you may live through SARS only to encounter greater problems later from something as common as a cold or the true influenza virus(the flu).As you can also see this virus may be airborne. Airborne contagions are the most deadly of all and have historically killed the most people.

Once again those pictures are sad but I say necessary to save the lives of countless others. The best way to combat this deadly new threat is to educate yourselves with the facts. Adversity can only be overcome through the sharing of information and creative enginuity.

Once again here is the website: cdc.gov

---

Roses Are RedAnd So Am I

Quote:

---

A man departed Atlanta on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385 and arrived in Paris the next day, she said at the news conference. He returned last Thursday to North America aboard Czech Air Flight 0104 from Prague, Czech Republic, to Montreal, Canada, then drove into the United States.

Those most at risk would have been seated within two rows of the man, Gerberding said. Newer-model planes use HEPA filters that are able to trap the long, rod-shaped tuberculosis bacilli, according to the CDC.

He told the newspaper he was aware he was placed on a no-fly list in the United States after his recent diagnosis with XDR TB, which is why he decided to fly into Canada. He told the newspaper that he asked the CDC whether they would provide a jet for him to return home, and was told there was no money for it. The man told the newspaper that a CDC staff member told him to turn himself into Italian health authorities where he would be put in isolation and given medical treatment. He said he sneaked back into the country because he feared "an unsuccessful treatment in Italy would have doomed him," the newspaper reported.

The man is in isolation at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital and "is required to stay in isolation until the responsible public health officials deem that he is no longer infectious to others," according to Gerberding. An armed guard stands outside his room.

---

Roses Are RedAnd So Am I