the war against viruses is the really dangerous one - 4.1.03
SARS could pose serious threat
It's still too early to tell, but the SARS outbreak is disturbing. It appears to be a new virus, meaning nobody has established immunity. It appears to be highly virulent. Worst of all, it appears to spread very easily like the common cold. While the death rate has been relatively low so far, many of the afflicted have required intensive care, including artificial respiration. So here's the question - how long before hospital staffs and equipment are no longer able to offer intensive care to all of the sick?
There has been some progress reported in understanding and detecting the disease. Health organizations seem to be better mobilized now too. But if the virus is a virulent cold, it seems unlikely that a preventative cure will be found in time to help during the first wave.
Right now the public's attention is largely on the war in Iraq. The last big epidemic happened under similar conditions; during the 1918 flu epidemic half a million died in North America alone.
What kind of precautions can be taken by individuals to help protect themselves? Right now, travel seems to be a questionable wisdom. At least 'non-essential' travel. Of course, if you thought you were going into a plague zone, most any travel would seem non-essential, unless you are actually a health care professional. Something to think about.
