The SARS Virus- a very real threat or hype???

[Jimster]

OK so for about a month now- the SARS epedemic- very much a virus that makes you sick and gives you symptoms like Pnuemonia- has been spreading through Hong Kong, Singapore and China and has claimed about 400 lives and left thousands more infected, the virus has spread to Canada and the USA also looks like it has been affected by the virus.


In Beiging- school has been cancelled for its 1.7 million pupils and those who have been quaranteened with the virus have been locked in hospitals and are being arrested if they leave the hospital.


So with the spread to North America and the rapid spread through Asia- do you think this virus has the potential to be as nasty as the Influenza epidemic of the 1920's???? Or is it just media hype?

[YogsVR4]

I think there is some hype going on with with this one. While it is a nasty bug to catch and the 20% fatality rate is quite high, I don't think its nearly as bad (clearly its bad for those who have it) as you'd think from the news reports. It sounds like they are doing what needs to be done in Hong Kong and other spots in China to get control of the situation. Toronto is a bit different. Its had some cases and a few deaths, but I don't think it should have been given that "don't travel to" bs from the WHO. (lets ignore the fact its another piece of the UN)

The US has a few cases and fortunately nobody has died from it - at least that I know of.

Influenza has killed more then SARS. Its claim to fame is that its *new* and thats what gets people all worked up.

[jon@af]

I agree with Yogs on this one. I think that there is always a little hype with everything that is first coming to light. Of course some of those things are worse than others but I think you get the idea. I also agree that what needs to be done with this kind of situation is being done as we all speak. They are actively studying the virus for possible antibodies and possibilities for vaccinations, and they are keeping close tabs on reported incidents so as to keep the incidents as contained as possible.

[taranaki]

China has 1.4 BILLION people.so far,about 110 have died of SARS-related conditions.In a lot of cases,the fatalities have occured in people that are already weakened by other diseases or old age.


assuming that all of the deaths have occured inthe last 6 weeks,an equivalent outbreak in NewZealand would kill about 4 people in a year[or less,if you take into account that we are not living as close to each other as the Chinese].

Based on the latest available figures for cause of death in NZ[taken in 1998],those 4 deaths seem minor in relation to

13 People hit by trains

9 People fell from ladders

8 People fell down holes[?!]

Clearly,the risk of being infected by SARS is small.The risk of dying from SARS-related conditions is even smaller.It's been presented as a major crisis,but I don't think it's worthy of this much attention.After all,lung cancer is hundreds of times more fatal,the biggest risk factor,smoking,has been clearly identified,and yet the press are not running around like headless chickens trying to cause a panic about that,are they?

[Oz]

Originally posted by taranaki
yet the press are not running around like headless chickens trying to cause a panic about that,are they?

Maybe not this week...but YES.

[Milliardo]

SARS is really serious. The disease is dangerous because its symptoms are the same as that of the common flu, and people can easily overlook it. Yes, it might be that it's just all media hype, but considering that it is easily transmitted, and that its symptoms are too common, then you have a potential threat here. Countries not affected yet do not know the danger posed by it. I shudder to think what will be the reaction once those countries are hit and we see the body count rise.

[rsxer45]

Another perspective:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ars_panic_dc_2