[Jorge]

"An epidemic where 95 percent of the people survive hasn't got much chance of going very far." He added: "Many more people die from flu every year."

This sounds like good news...reason amid the panic over SARS. Is it supposed to offend me that this appears on a gay web site?

[Mr. Mulliner]

I'm not telling you to be offended so please don't be.

I'm just saying that I think it's a matter of time before the AIDS lobby starts feeling threatened by the attention that SARS is getting and believe this could be a step in that direction.

When health officials are sounding all kinds of warning bells, but a guy who is seen as a leading figure in the fight against AIDS blatantly downplays the threat of SARS, I'd say that there's a good chance that it's being done for political reasons.

Now a question for you: What did you mean when you asked whether I thought you should be offended because it came from a gay website? I really do not understand your point.