SARS Here to Stay, Health Experts Say

Reuters ^ | April 9, 2003 | Maggie Fox

[EternalHope]

Yesterday Hong Kong and Singapore said SARS was probably here to stay. Today the U.S. says the same thing.

Looks like containment failed.

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[riri]

Well, here we go. While everyone is basking over the winning of the war they are likely to wake up to a new nightmare.

Three U.S. Health Workers Likely Have SARS

[DannyTN]

Were up to 154 cases in the US still in 30 states and 2722 world wide.
That is an increase of 9 or 6% since yesterday in the US and about 5% increase worldwide. Which is an improvement it's been growing about 10% a day. But that is also just one days data too.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/

[EternalHope]

Thanks for the link.

[EternalHope]

Thanks for the link. I bookmarked it.

The number of SARS cases in the U.S. is "suspected", rather than "probable", and even the CDC thinks it is overstated.

[riri]

I wouldn't put too much faith in those numbers. Not to be a doom and gloomer but as an example Monday night we were reporting a suspected case here in the Phoenix metro area. I actually called the department of health to confirm, the official said it was a suspected case and that the patient was meeting most of the criteria for SARs. As of Wednesday, Arizona does not show on any of the lists.

I am expecting to see the cessation of the tallying of these cases as we are expected to "just deal with it"...

Another interesting note, my husbands company today was sending out a power point presentation on SARS....

[DannyTN]

I am expecting to see the cessation of the tallying of these cases as we are expected to "just deal with it"... That wouldn't surprise me, I noticed that the reporting slowed down in the last three days...they had a day or more where the figures weren't updated. And even now they seem to be running a day behind.

[aristeides]

I'm thinking of getting some kind of hand lotion that I can keep in my office so that I can wash my hands without having to leave the office (and touch doorknobs). Anybody got any recommendations?

[Cold Heat]

Gasoline!

[oreolady]

You can use Purell, found in drugstores, it is alcohol and supposed to kill germs, but I am not sure it would be any defense against virus.

[CathyRyan]

From the CDC....

All members of a household with a SARS patient should carefully follow recommendations for hand hygiene (e.g., frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand rubs), particularly after contact with body fluids (e.g., respiratory secretions, urine, or feces).

Purell is an alcohol based.

[aristeides]

Thanks. I wonder if the CDC's failure to mention saliva and sweat is significant.

[blam]

I don't like the sound of this at all!!

[GhostofWCooper]

What's all this panicky talk about? A strain of pneumonia? Folks, people have been dying of "acute respiratory " diseases forever, and will continue to do so.

The timing and placement of these stories smacks of hysteria generation from our bestest buddies.

Calm down and think. There is no cure for most viral ailments, like the common cold. Should we all wet ourselves because someone sneezes in our general direction?

I read of an EO recently issued allowing forcible quarantine of people with "SARS". Since this is basically a severe cold, don't you all find this EO a tad worrisome? I find it more troubling than this flubug or whatever it is.

[DannyTN]

"this is basically a severe cold,"

A severe cold with a 4% death rate that kills not just the old and immune deficient.

And one that would have been largely preventable, if the WHO had been a little more panicky and put some travel restrictions in place back when it was only 150 cases.

You can "wet yourself" if you want to. However, we are staying abreast of it, and encouraging the health authorities to get control of it.

[riri]

It's not the 4 or 5% (10% in Canada) mortality rate that is freaking me out. It is the 85% rate of people sitting in hospitals not getting any better, now that is worrying me.

[GhostofWCooper]

And a 96 % life rate.
Kinda like pneumonia, plain old pneumonia.
People die. Case closed.

Let the piddling begin.. :^)