Beijing loses big on SARS gamble

Asia Times ^ | 4.7.03 | Francesco Sisci

[Petronski]

They lost the bet all right, but they were gambling with other peoples lives. Never trust a communist to do anything to preserve human life. Sheesh.

[Enemy Of The State]

I would love to see the US media play this up big time. It would ultimately have negative effect on China's economy and possibly discourage an new foreign investmen. Especially if the situation is not brought under control soon.

[2timothy3.16]

Jesus said:

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24

[Enemy Of The State]

Ping

[Enemy Of The State]

bah humbug

[Mr. Jeeves]

The decision should have been easy for Beijing. As soon as WHO asked to be allowed to investigate the disease, it should have been invited in and given full access to affected areas, Guangdong in particular. It also should have been allowed to speak freely to the world (and Chinese) press regarding SARS. This would have undoubtedly buttressed China's previously growing credibility as a responsible member of the global community.

Yeah, but if SARS is a bioweapon that got loose, China would hardly behave this way. Instead they would do almost exactly as they have done - try to downplay the significance of SARS.

[Centurion2000]

We should allow any dead US citizen to start suing the Chinese government ... their irresponsibility and suppresion of information is a DIRECT cause for the spread of this disease.

[Enemy Of The State]

My thoughts exactly. I had suspicions from the begining that there was a high chance this could be some type of new Bio-weapon. Doesnt it seem strange that this would be the first new virus in 20 years? hmmm..How ironic that it should just appear in China first.

[skeeter]

Funny they should mention Black Death. I have a contact in Suzhou who says health officials there are trying to keep the lid on a recent outbreak of the Plague. Scary stuff.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The real face of Red China. THE STATE IS ALL ! Individual people don't count for much.
Why is anyone surprised ?

[FreeCanuckistan]

This disease is spreading up here. People have been placed under voluntary quarantine......and it is not working. I know of a couple of people who were in so called "SAR's cluster zones", they haven't developed any symptoms from their mid-March exposure to this. Curiously though, this particular "cluster zone" was a hospital.......and no one from this institution called to warn or test them, despite the recording of their visit to the hospital.

These isolated factors are doing nothing for my confidence, in the way has this has been handled.

Don't wanna trample any 'rights' now, do we?

[cogitator]

SARs could be to China what Chernobyl was to the former U.S.S.R. - an event that forces openness with the West.

[Enemy Of The State]

btw, where in the heck is Canuckistan?

[FreeCanuckistan]

Just north of your still 'free country'......we are somewhere between 'pink' and 'red', on any political spectrum.

[aristeides]

I have a contact in Suzhou who says health officials there are trying to keep the lid on a recent outbreak of the Plague. Scary stuff.

Plague is easy to treat with antibiotics. Was there a failure to diagnose? Or has a resistant strain emerged?

[aristeides]

WHO chief blames China for SARS spread .

[aristeides]

US warns of Sars epidemic spread .

[skeeter]

Plague is easy to treat with antibiotics. Was there a failure to diagnose? Or has a resistant strain emerged?

I have no details, unfortunately. Just that the problem is serious and there is an attempt being made to keep things quiet. If I hear anything else I'll pass it along.

[riri]

Oddly, whatever they are calling SARS here in the states doesn't seem to be as deadly as what we are seeing in Asia.

However, if that changes-this cannot be allowed to spread. That much has to be obvious to officials. Currently, 85% of those inflicted in HK are still in the hospital. Our entire medical infrastructure, as well as our economy would crash.

I don't know what, if anything, they are planning on doing to prevent further spread but they better think of something, no matter how drastic. It is looking like people may be contagious even before symptoms are present.

-From another thread-

Dr. Allison McGeer, one of Canada's leading infectious disease specialists, contracted the disease from a staff member at the hospital. The health-care worker was not showing symptoms of SARS at the time, but went on to develop the disease.

Disease expert stricken by SARS