[InterceptPoint]

I haven't really been following this story. What I do know is that the death rate from flu and pneumonia in this country is about 20 deaths per day. How do we know that SARS isn't just old fashioned pneumonia?

[goodnesswins]

Yes....I have the same kind of question...I understand 40,000 usually die from the flu/pneumonia (one or both, I'm not sure) every year......so is SARS REALLY that bad....although there are those who say YES....I do not know.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I haven't really been following this story. What I do know is that the death rate from flu and pneumonia in this country is about 20 deaths per day. How do we know that SARS isn't just old fashioned pneumonia?

Exactly. That's what I've been thinking. How does this differ from pneumonia or other cases of influenza? I've spent no time worrying about it.

[patriciaruth]

How do we know that SARS isn't just old fashioned pneumonia?

The virus that causes SARS has been isolated and proven to cause the disease.

If by "old fashioned pneumonia" you mean the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, once named Diplococcus pneumoniae, then it could be easily cured, because, with rare exceptions, most bacteria are suseptible to antibiotics. Viruses in the main, however, are not suseptible to common antibiotics, or even the few anti-viral drugs that exist.

Still, I believe our sanitation with isolation for cases will keep SARS in check in the U.S., as this virus is not "highly" contagious, despite the hype.

It's also helpful that we don't have as many travelers to communist countries as socialist Canada has.