[Ma Li]

And, they loan their cars to their buddies on some days, so their friends can make a little extra cash.

[Ma Li]

Today in rural Hubei, China

Today, the schools begain taking the temperature of all the students because "someone is ill."

Today the people everywhere began wearing masks, and No 2 hospital was declared the SARS hospital.

Today the line continued that in our town there is no SARS, and that in our province there is only one case, in the capital. The only danger admitted is from people who were on a train from Shanxi province, which carried a SARS victim who died. The people in his car were quarantined, but on a train people walk from car to car all the time, and use the bathrooms in other cars if theirs is full.

Today I received several panicked e-mails from a Chinese friend studying at a university in our capital. They stated that she and her boyfriend knew of 40 people who had died of SARS in that city, and that they, with others, were fleeing to all parts--including our city--doubtless carrying the virus with them. (Don't forget the official number of dead in China is supposed to be less then 100). It doesn't matter much to her--the university closed, anyway.

Today in our city, small, remote and in an "unaffected province" evening adult classes were cancelled, shopkeepers wore their masks, and children were pulled from primary schools.

Today SARS is not contained, is not prevalent only in the cities, and the government bans and restrictions on travel are worse then useless.