37 In United States May Have SARS

Dr. Koop ^ | 03-24-03

[Domestic Church]

I'm worried about President Bush and our Republic...seriously.

[Domestic Church]

Think of the political ramifications...the left will try to use this Bigtime!

[Merdoug]

Someone mentioned rubbing your eyes could give it to you if your hands touched the virus. Can one be infected thru their eyes from germs floating in the air? The reason I ask is, I'm wondering whether a half gas mask is sufficent to stop the virus from getting to you. I thought it had to enter the lungs?

[bonfire]

Reported last Friday that their is someone with SARS in our county. No info on who or where. Ticks me off they won't give us anymore info. I would like to know if this person has kids in our school!

[gabby hayes]

So God wants these folks dead?

[Mr. Mojo]

I'm not really worried about me as much as I'm worried about my father, 75.

I hear you. My folks are flying across the country tomorrow, and airplanes are veritable incubators.

[Mother Abigail]

Canadian labs can't confirm
SARS-cold virus link

FROM CANADIAN PRESS

A previously unidentified member of a family of viruses that causes cold-like ailments in humans was identified today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as the leading suspect in the search for the source of SARS.

"Right now for us this is a hypothesis. It is our leading hypothesis," CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding said at a news conference in Atlanta.

Gerberding said CDC scientists have been able to isolate the virus from specimens from some SARS patients and have been able to grow it in culture.

As well, blood samples taken at different times in the course of the illness show at least some patients have no antibodies against the virus early in the disease process but go on to develop them. That suggests the virus is not something they have been carrying for some time, but has mounted a new assault on their immune systems.

But the head of Health Canada's national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg said scientists there have been unable to replicate the results that lead the CDC to believe a new coronavirus is behind the mysterious outbreak.

"We've been aware of these results for a couple days and as yet we've not been able to confirm the results," said Dr. Frank Plummer, scientific director of the laboratory.

"Our results were negative for coronaviruses. And we continue to find evidence of human metapneumovirus."

On Friday, Plummer announced his team had found human metapneumovirus, a member of the paramyxovirus family, in specimens from six of eight patients for whom the lab had samples.

Scientists in Hong Kong had named the paramyxovirus family earlier in the week as the likely causative agent.

To date a number of labs have found evidence to support the Winnipeg laboratory's findings. And scientists at the University of Hong Kong have found evidence to back the coronavirus hypothesis.

Regardless of which is to blame — if indeed one of the two is the culprit — the findings are surprising. Both types of viruses are known to mainly cause mild cold-like ailments. No one is clear on why one or the other of these viruses may have become a killer.

[Mother Abigail]

Tough call, when/if we can make + identification of SARS, then community notification becomes more likely.

[Domestic Church]

What if it is both viruses...viral symbiosis.

[Goodlife]

Free Republic is a big resource. Does anyone here know a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend who is laid down with this?

[Mother Abigail]

Gas Mask no

Viral transmission in eyes - possible but not likely

This is a coughing, aerosol droplet spread disease

A N95 or N100 surgical mask will provide protection, but certainly not needed at this time...

[Mother Abigail]

Artifacts

These are common viruses being detected in an immunocompromised patient.

Artifacts

[Mother Abigail]

Unknown

[aristeides]

A lot of leading world figures came down with the Spanish flu at the Paris Peace Conference in early 1919. A few people at that conference died from it.