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Young people predominate in latest Sars deaths
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sars/story/0,13036,936691,00.html ^ | Guardian

Posted on 04/14/2003 8:22:42 AM PDT by per loin

Young people predominate in latest Sars deaths

Staff and agencies
Monday April 14, 2003


Another seven people have died from Sars in Hong Kong, raising the country's death toll from the virus to 47 and the global figure to 140.

What has surprised doctors in Hong Kong, though, is that six of the people who died recently were relatively young with no other illnesses. Until now, many of the fatalities have been elderly people or patients suffering from other chronic health problems, such as heart or kidney diseases.

Doctors in Hong Kong have begun prescribing heavier doses of medicine during the early stages of Sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Prior to the most recent deaths, Hong Kong officials had said that most patients without aggravating health conditions seemed to respond well to a treatment of anti-viral drugs and steroids.

The acting director of Hong Kong's hospital authority, Dr Ko Wing-man, warned of the potentially severe side effects of increasing doses of medicine for heart, blood and kidney problems.

The senior executive manager of the hospital authority, Dr Liu Shao-haei, said on Monday that some of the younger patients were hospitalised when they were already in a serious condition, and their health worsened even after they received intensive care.

Despite efforts to find an effective treatment for the disease, an expert expressed concern that the virus has mutated after he observed that patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital, which was hard-hit by a Sars outbreak, displayed differences in infectiousness, symptoms and the severity of their illness.

Early investigations had revealed that the virus believed to be causing Sars had "mutated, but not to a great extent", said Stephen Tsui, a biochemist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Monday.

"We want to find out whether it's because the virus is different that causes such differences," he said. "If we can figure that out, we can then predict which patient will be afflicted more severely."

Hong Kong reported 40 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infected people to 1,190. Some 229 people have already recovered.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: sars
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1 posted on 04/14/2003 8:22:43 AM PDT by per loin
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To: aristeides; InShanghai; riri; EternalHope; CathyRyan; blam; flutters; Petronski; Domestic Church; ..
Sheet1
Time Cases Increase Disposition Dead as % of prior time
Day Date New Week Total One Day Week Got Well % Dead % Total Gone % Still In Hosp % Elapsed Hosp-Days Week 2 Week 3 Week
Wed 03/12 10 10 10 100.0% 10
Thu 03/13 14 24 140.0% 24 100.0% 34
Fri 03/14 5 29 20.8% 29 100.0% 63
Sat 03/15 8 37 27.6% 37 100.0% 100
Sun 03/16 5 42 13.5% 42 100.0% 142
Mon 03/17 53 95 126.2% 95 100.0% 237
Tue 03/18 28 123 123 29.5% 123 100.0% 360
Wed 03/19 27 140 150 22.0% 1400.0% 5 3.3% 5 3.3% 10 6.7% 140 93.3% 500 50.0%
Thu 03/20 23 149 173 15.3% 620.8% 5 2.9% 6 3.5% 11 6.4% 162 93.6% 662 25.0%
Fri 03/21 30 174 203 17.3% 600.0% 7 3.4% 6 3.0% 13 6.4% 190 93.6% 852 20.7%
Sat 03/22 19 185 222 9.4% 500.0% 7 3.2% 8 3.6% 15 6.8% 207 93.2% 1,059 21.6%
Sun 03/23 25 205 247 11.3% 488.1% 7 2.8% 8 3.2% 15 6.1% 232 93.9% 1,291 19.0%
Mon 03/24 13 165 260 5.3% 173.7% 12 4.6% 10 3.8% 22 8.5% 238 91.5% 1,529 10.5%
Tue 03/25 26 163 286 10.0% 132.5% 14 4.9% 10 3.5% 24 8.4% 262 91.6% 1,791 8.1%
Wed 03/26 30 166 316 10.5% 110.7% 16 5.1% 10 3.2% 26 8.2% 290 91.8% 2,081 6.7% 100.0%
Thu 03/27 51 194 367 16.1% 112.1% 19 5.2% 10 2.7% 29 7.9% 338 92.1% 2,419 5.8% 41.7%
Fri 03/28 58 222 425 15.8% 109.4% 25 5.9% 11 2.6% 36 8.5% 389 91.5% 2,808 5.4% 37.9%
Sat 03/29 45 248 470 10.6% 111.7% 43 9.1% 12 2.6% 55 11.7% 415 88.3% 3,223 5.4% 32.4%
Sun 03/30 60 283 530 12.8% 114.6% 64 12.1% 13 2.5% 77 14.5% 453 85.5% 3,676 5.3% 31.0%
Mon 03/31 80 350 610 15.1% 134.6% 79 13.0% 15 2.5% 94 15.4% 516 84.6% 4,192 5.8% 15.8%
Tue 04/1 75 399 685 12.3% 139.5% 84 12.3% 16 2.3% 100 14.6% 585 85.4% 4,777 5.6% 13.0%
Wed 04/2 23 392 708 3.4% 124.1% 89 12.6% 16 2.3% 105 14.8% 603 85.2% 5,380 5.1% 10.7% 160.0%
Thu 04/3 26 367 734 3.7% 100.0% 98 13.4% 17 2.3% 115 15.7% 619 84.3% 5,999 4.6% 9.8% 70.8%
Fri 04/4 27 336 761 3.7% 79.1% 99 13.0% 17 2.2% 116 15.2% 645 84.8% 6,644 4.0% 8.4% 58.6%
Sat 04/5 39 330 800 5.1% 70.2% 107 13.4% 20 2.5% 127 15.9% 673 84.1% 7,317 4.3% 9.0% 54.1%
Sun 04/6 42 312 842 5.3% 58.9% 116 13.8% 22 2.6% 138 16.4% 704 83.6% 8,021 4.2% 8.9% 52.4%
Mon 04/7 41 273 883 4.9% 44.8% 127 14.4% 23 2.6% 150 17.0% 733 83.0% 8,754 3.8% 8.8% 24.2%
Tue 04/8 45 243 928 5.1% 35.5% 138 14.9% 25 2.7% 163 17.6% 765 82.4% 9,519 3.6% 8.7% 20.3%
Wed 04/9 42 262 970 4.5% 37.0% 142 14.6% 27 2.8% 169 17.4% 801 82.6% 10,320 3.8% 8.5% 18.0%
Thu 04/10 28 264 998 2.9% 36.0% 154 15.4% 30 3.0% 184 18.4% 814 81.6% 11,134 4.1% 8.2% 17.3%
Fri 04/11 61 298 1,059 6.1% 39.2% 169 16.0% 32 3.0% 201 19.0% 858 81.0% 11,992 4.2% 7.5% 15.8%
Sat 04/12 49 308 1,108 4.6% 38.5% 215 19.4% 35 3.2% 250 22.6% 858 77.4% 12,850 4.4% 7.4% 15.8%
Sun 04/13 42 308 1,150 3.8% 36.6% 223 19.4% 40 3.5% 263 22.9% 887 77.1% 13,737 4.8% 7.5% 16.2%
Mon 04/14 40 307 1,190 3.5% 34.8% 229 19.2% 47 3.5% 276 23.2% 914 76.8% 14,651 5.3% 7.7% 18.1%
Averages 35 256 18.1% 203.0% 10.6% 2.9% 13.6% 89.2% 9.3% 19.2% 41.7%

2 posted on 04/14/2003 8:28:11 AM PDT by per loin
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To: per loin
This is precisely the same pattern found in the great influenza epidemic following World War One. It was especially cruel since many who had survived the horrors of the trenches succumbed to a virus after their return home.

This occurs because older people have been, through their lives, challenged by enough different varieties of virii to have built up a partial immunity to something just similar enough to help. Also, younger adults are more physically active and hence exposed to a wider variety of disease agents. Add international travel to the mix - as it was in 1919, it is much more so now - and you have a pandemic if you're not careful.

3 posted on 04/14/2003 8:30:02 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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4 posted on 04/14/2003 8:30:19 AM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: per loin
It's not so much that the death rate among young people is going up, as much as it's taking longer for young people to finally succumb
5 posted on 04/14/2003 8:34:11 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Heavily armed, easily bored, and off my medication)
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To: per loin
Only 229 out of 1,190 have recovered so far in Hong Kong? This is certainly a nasty bug.
6 posted on 04/14/2003 8:34:19 AM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: per loin
6 got well, 7 died.

Hong Kong no longer has enough intensive care beds or isolation wards.

7 posted on 04/14/2003 8:38:13 AM PDT by EternalHope
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To: EternalHope
As the HK hospital system reaches toward its breaking point, I'd expect that patients would be released at the earliest possible moment. But the low numbers being released indicate that people do not shake this bug off very quickly.

I've seen some mention of dementia among recovered patients. Anyone here have any info on that?

8 posted on 04/14/2003 8:49:51 AM PDT by per loin
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To: SauronOfMordor
Have you a source for data on how long those dying have been hospitalized?
9 posted on 04/14/2003 8:51:23 AM PDT by per loin
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To: per loin
Thanks again for the ping, and kudos to you for keeping the list going! It's by far the best information I've found on the internet...

I've seen some mention of dementia among recovered patients...

Interesting if true. I had heard that there was also permament lung damage. I would also like to find out if there's any truth to those stories.

10 posted on 04/14/2003 8:57:31 AM PDT by InShanghai (I was born on the crest of a wave, and rocked in the cradle of the deep.)
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To: per loin
Walt Disney And Airlines Admit SARS Virus Is Crippling Business
11 posted on 04/14/2003 9:03:08 AM PDT by blam
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To: Billthedrill; CathyRyan; Mother Abigail; per loin; Dog Gone; Petronski; riri; EternalHope; ...
The Spanish flu of 1918 killed a lot of people in their teens and twenties. The people who just died of SARS were aged 37 to 52, I believe. Not old, certainly, but more accurately described as middle-aged than young, unlike many of the victims of the Spanish flu.
12 posted on 04/14/2003 9:03:55 AM PDT by aristeides
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To: aristeides
I was certainly thinking teens to twenties. Maybe what they meant was younger than previous deaths. No children affected yet.

Time to take my vitamins!

13 posted on 04/14/2003 9:13:27 AM PDT by InShanghai (I was born on the crest of a wave, and rocked in the cradle of the deep.)
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To: per loin
Breakthrough prompts vaccine hope for SARS

April 14 2003 at 09:52AM
IOL (South Africa)

A Canadian laboratory said its breakthrough discovery of the genetic sequence behind the deadly SARS virus could help develop an effective vaccine.

The Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in British Columbia said the genetic blueprint could also help develop a reliable diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, the respiratory virus that has killed 128 people and infected nearly 3 200 around the world.

"This will allow people who design specific antivirals, of which I admit there aren't that many out there, but they have the basic information they need to design those and test to see if they work," said Caroline Astell, projects leader at the Genome Science Centre.

"In the longer term, they could develop a sub-unit vaccine that might protect everyone."

Calling the discovery, announced on Saturday, a huge step forward in the fight to control the spread of SARS, the researchers said the results could eventually help scientists understand why the virus is so deadly.

The SARS virus has killed 13 people in Canada, which is the only country outside Asia where people have died from the disease.

Across Canada, 283 probable or suspected cases have been reported.

The scientists in British Columbia posted the information at www.bcgsc.bc.ca Sars can lead to severe pneumonia. About four percent of those infected die.

The condition of the Pretoria businessman who is feared to have contracted SARS has improved.

Netcare spokesperson Mande Toubkin said the man was still on a ventilator in the intensive care unit in the Pretoria East Hospital, but that there was a general improvement in his condition. The 62-year-old man was admitted to hospital last week. - Staff Reporter

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Argus on 14 April 2003

14 posted on 04/14/2003 9:21:39 AM PDT by blam
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To: blam
At a minimum this should be able to help them chart the virus and see what other virus strains it compares to.
15 posted on 04/14/2003 10:26:53 AM PDT by riri
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To: per loin
Have you a source for data on how long those dying have been hospitalized?

No. You can get feel for how long between a case being reported and it being resolved one way or the other from the WHO breakdown by date. Looking at March 29, we see 470 cases and 10 deaths, april 2, we see 708 cases and 16 deaths, April 10 we see 998 cases, 30 deaths, and 154 recoveries. April 14 brings us to 1190 cases, 47 deaths and 229 recoveries. It seems like most of the March 29 cases are still unresolved (no recovery/no death), and that the ratio of death to recovery is getting worse.

16 posted on 04/14/2003 10:40:31 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Heavily armed, easily bored, and off my medication)
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To: aristeides; InShanghai; riri; EternalHope; CathyRyan; blam; flutters; Petronski; Domestic Church; ..
There was a malfunction of a formula (read: operator error) in the chart I posted earlier. I'll post the fixed one shortly.
17 posted on 04/14/2003 10:48:38 AM PDT by per loin
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To: per loin
Hospitalized Hong Kong SARS (Chicom Flu) Cases
Time Cases Increase Disposition Dead as % of prior time
Day Date New Week Total One Day Week Got well Dead Total Gone Now In Hospitals Total Hosp Days Week 2 Week 3 Week
Day Total % Day Total % Day Total % Day Total %
Wed 03/12 10 10 10 10 100.0% 10
Thu 03/13 14 24 140.0% 14 24 100.0% 34
Fri 03/14 5 29 20.8% 5 29 100.0% 63
Sat 03/15 8 37 27.6% 8 37 100.0% 100
Sun 03/16 5 42 13.5% 5 42 100.0% 142
Mon 03/17 53 95 126.2% 53 95 100.0% 237
Tue 03/18 28 123 123 29.5% 28 123 100.0% 360
Wed 03/19 27 140 150 22.0% 1400.0% 5 5 3.3% 5 5 3.3% 10 10 6.7% 17 140 93.3% 500 50.0%
Thu 03/20 23 149 173 15.3% 620.8% 0 5 2.9% 1 6 3.5% 1 11 6.4% 22 162 93.6% 662 25.0%
Fri 03/21 30 174 203 17.3% 600.0% 2 7 3.4% 0 6 3.0% 2 13 6.4% 28 190 93.6% 852 20.7%
Sat 03/22 19 185 222 9.4% 500.0% 0 7 3.2% 2 8 3.6% 2 15 6.8% 17 207 93.2% 1,059 21.6%
Sun 03/23 25 205 247 11.3% 488.1% 0 7 2.8% 2 10 4.0% 2 17 6.9% 23 230 93.1% 1,289 23.8%
Mon 03/24 13 165 260 5.3% 173.7% 5 12 4.6% 0 10 3.8% 5 22 8.5% 8 238 91.5% 1,527 10.5%
Tue 03/25 26 163 286 10.0% 132.5% 2 14 4.9% 0 10 3.5% 2 24 8.4% 24 262 91.6% 1,789 8.1%
Wed 03/26 30 166 316 10.5% 110.7% 2 16 5.1% 0 10 3.2% 2 26 8.2% 28 290 91.8% 2,079 6.7% 100.0%
Thu 03/27 51 194 367 16.1% 112.1% 3 19 5.2% 0 10 2.7% 3 29 7.9% 48 338 92.1% 2,417 5.8% 41.7%
Fri 03/28 58 222 425 15.8% 109.4% 6 25 5.9% 1 11 2.6% 7 36 8.5% 51 389 91.5% 2,806 5.4% 37.9%
Sat 03/29 45 248 470 10.6% 111.7% 18 43 9.1% 1 12 2.6% 19 55 11.7% 26 415 88.3% 3,221 5.4% 32.4%
Sun 03/30 60 283 530 12.8% 114.6% 21 64 12.1% 1 13 2.5% 22 77 14.5% 38 453 85.5% 3,674 5.3% 31.0%
Mon 03/31 80 350 610 15.1% 134.6% 15 79 13.0% 2 15 2.5% 17 94 15.4% 63 516 84.6% 4,190 5.8% 15.8%
Tue 04/1 75 399 685 12.3% 139.5% 5 84 12.3% 1 16 2.3% 6 100 14.6% 69 585 85.4% 4,775 5.6% 13.0%
Wed 04/2 23 392 708 3.4% 124.1% 5 89 12.6% 0 16 2.3% 5 105 14.8% 18 603 85.2% 5,378 5.1% 10.7% 160.0%
Thu 04/3 26 367 734 3.7% 100.0% 9 98 13.4% 1 17 2.3% 10 115 15.7% 16 619 84.3% 5,997 4.6% 9.8% 70.8%
Fri 04/4 27 336 761 3.7% 79.1% 1 99 13.0% 0 17 2.2% 1 116 15.2% 26 645 84.8% 6,642 4.0% 8.4% 58.6%
Sat 04/5 39 330 800 5.1% 70.2% 8 107 13.4% 3 20 2.5% 11 127 15.9% 28 673 84.1% 7,315 4.3% 9.0% 54.1%
Sun 04/6 42 312 842 5.3% 58.9% 9 116 13.8% 2 22 2.6% 11 138 16.4% 31 704 83.6% 8,019 4.2% 8.9% 52.4%
Mon 04/7 41 273 883 4.9% 44.8% 11 127 14.4% 1 23 2.6% 12 150 17.0% 29 733 83.0% 8,752 3.8% 8.8% 24.2%
Tue 04/8 45 243 928 5.1% 35.5% 11 138 14.9% 2 25 2.7% 13 163 17.6% 32 765 82.4% 9,517 3.6% 8.7% 20.3%
Wed 04/9 42 262 970 4.5% 37.0% 4 142 14.6% 2 27 2.8% 6 169 17.4% 36 801 82.6% 10,318 3.8% 8.5% 18.0%
Thu 04/10 28 264 998 2.9% 36.0% 12 154 15.4% 3 30 3.0% 15 184 18.4% 13 814 81.6% 11,132 4.1% 8.2% 17.3%
Fri 04/11 61 298 1,059 6.1% 39.2% 15 169 16.0% 2 32 3.0% 17 201 19.0% 44 858 81.0% 11,990 4.2% 7.5% 15.8%
Sat 04/12 49 308 1,108 4.6% 38.5% 46 215 19.4% 3 35 3.2% 49 250 22.6% 0 858 77.4% 12,848 4.4% 7.4% 15.8%
Sun 04/13 42 308 1,150 3.8% 36.6% 8 223 19.4% 5 40 3.5% 13 263 22.9% 29 887 77.1% 13,735 4.8% 7.5% 16.2%
Mon 04/14 40 307 1,190 3.5% 34.8% 6 229 19.2% 7 47 3.9% 13 276 23.2% 27 914 76.8% 14,649 5.3% 7.7% 18.1%
Averages 35 256 18.1% 203.0% 8 10.6% 1 2.9% 10 13.6% 27 89.2% 9.5% 19.2% 41.7%

18 posted on 04/14/2003 10:50:11 AM PDT by per loin
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To: per loin
Title of article:
Young people predominate in latest Sars deaths
In body/text of article:
six of the people who died recently were relatively young
The *two* are not equivalent in my book ...
19 posted on 04/14/2003 10:53:07 AM PDT by _Jim ( // NASA has a better safety record than NASCAR \\)
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To: per loin
Thank you for your hard work on this...

About the dementia, I haven't heard anything. But I do know that people who are placed on a respirator are at high risk for severe psychological reaction. Speaking personally, my father was on a respirator for three weeks and was completely psychotic the entire time.

It's in my personal advance directive that I never be placed on a respirator for any reason whatsoever.
20 posted on 04/14/2003 10:58:11 AM PDT by Judith Anne (God bless our soldiers with swift victory...)
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