Sadly, I am more inclined to agree with you than not, my FReeper friend. SARS might have only been a test of our response. Very suspicious how SARS was spread around the world by a lone medical researcher staying in a hotel near the airport. It was never explained why he was there at that time in that place. Of course, he died a few days after he infected people who simply came into momentary contact with him in common areas.
The doctor had been in the agriculture areas doing work and contracted the disease from roaches and the horrible living conditions.
Reading about polio and how long that epidemic lasted is frightening to say the least. Healthy people picked off at seeming random and of all ages.
Unfortunately, I'm more concerned about not getting cancer than bird flu.