Virus sweeps through Asia: Singapore quarintines thousands, Hong Kong shuts down

[Makain]

SARS, once thought to be a form of pneuonmia has now been confirmed to be more contagious then thought as thousands flood hospitals in Southern Asia. The virus, which originated in China last month, has begun to strain resources as local governments are on the brink of collapse.

Hong Kong has closed all government offices, including schools and banks, while the city ground to a standstill with literally no one in the streets.

Singapore has quarinited thousands of its own citizens as the local government initiated the Emergency Containment procedures in a last ditch attempt to keep the virus within hospitals and homes.

The virus has now spread from southern China and has swept through the capital to encompass the entire nation in literally a month from its discovery. The pneunomia like disease is lethal and is extremely contagious. Experts say the virus is now most probably airborne.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/03/29....ap/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/03/28...rus/index.html

[Makain]

eh?

[Anaximander]

The ppl here know, but at the moment, it seems, that the officials manage to get this disease bottled up in Asia (mostly). the few cases in America or Europe appear to be under control. Hence this lack of interest. HongKong is far away........

[W]

Originally posted by Makain
SARS, once thought to be a form of pneuonmia has now been confirmed to be more contagious then thought as thousands flood hospitals in Southern Asia. The virus, which originated in China last month, has begun to strain resources as local governments are on the brink of collapse.

Hong Kong has closed all government offices, including schools and banks, while the city ground to a standstill with literally no one in the streets.

Singapore has quarinited thousands of its own citizens as the local government initiated the Emergency Containment procedures in a last ditch attempt to keep the virus within hospitals and homes.

The virus has now spread from southern China and has swept through the capital to encompass the entire nation in literally a month from its discovery. The pneunomia like disease is lethal and is extremely contagious. Experts say the virus is now most probably airborne.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/03/29....ap/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/03/28...rus/index.html

There's no indication that the disease travels through air, Director of Health Margaret Chan said Saturday, but called the outbreak in Amoy Gardens apartments as "worrisome." SARS is believed to spread through closer contact.

At the start of the outbreak, the mystery illness had a mortality rate of 4 percent and 20 percent of those who caught it needed intensive care treatment.

The death rate of SARS is relatively low, with about 3.5 percent of people who get the disease dying from it. The rest recover, usually within about seven days, she said.
"If there's any good news about SARS right now, it's that the majority of patients do appear to recover, and the death rate is lower than what we see with influenza epidemics," she said.

Seems like wild speculation and paranoia to me. The total deaths worldvide is a two digit number. This sickness is less dangerous than an average flu virus.

You're all twats for being interested in what the media tells you to be interested in.

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Oh noes epidemic!

Hardly. Not like the world wide flu epidemic in the early part of the last century.

(Plus it's already been posted umpteen times, there is a 'search' function so you can check)

[Steve_G]

there a few hospitals in the Toronto area with confirmed cases and deaths, 1st from a woman who travelled to hong kong and kindly enough brought back the disease

so many quarantines goin on right now

been in local papers for bout a week now i think

[Judge]

Maybe it is an al-Quaeda Plot, to wipe out the Western world?

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally posted by Judge
Maybe it is an al-Quaeda Plot, to wipe out the Western world?

As opposed to al-Qaeda Pilots

[LHC]

Originally posted by Judge
Maybe it is an al-Quaeda Plot, to wipe out the Western world?

they misaimed then...

[Sub]

Originally posted by Judge
Maybe it is an al-Quaeda Plot, to wipe out the Western world?

By starting it in South-East Asia?

[wu_trax]

12 monkeys \o/

[Judge]

Originally posted by Sub
By starting it in South-East Asia?

Yes an obvious subterfuge, try it out in SE Asia, and let it spread.......

etc...

[Makain]

Originally posted by wu_trax
12 monkeys \o/

Didn't that turn out to be one monkey who ended up being a Nobel-prize winner world famous Biologist?