Posted on 06/29/2013 7:27:20 AM PDT by LibWhacker
A scary virus is sweeping Saudi Arabia. Six million religious pilgrims are about to descend on the country from across the world. The result could be disastrous.
When the Black Death exploded in Arabia in the 14th century, killing an estimated third of the population, it spread across the Islamic world via infected religious pilgrims. Today, the Middle East is threatened with a new plague, one eponymously if not ominously named the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV, or MERS for short). This novel coronavirus was discovered in Jordan in March 2012, and as of June 26, there have been 77 laboratory-confirmed infections, 62 of which have been in Saudi Arabia; 34 of these Saudi patients have died.
Although the numbers -- so far -- are small, the disease is raising anxiety throughout the region. But officials in Saudi Arabia are particularly concerned.
This fall, millions of devout Muslims will descend upon Mecca, Medina, and Saudi Arabia's holy sites in one of the largest annual migrations in human history. In 2012, approximately 6 million pilgrims came through Saudi Arabia to perform the rituals associated with umrah, and this number is predicted to rise in 2013. Umrah literally means "to visit a populated place," and it's the very proximity that has health officials so worried. In Mecca alone, millions of pilgrims will fulfill the religious obligation of circling the Kaaba. And having a large group of people together in a single, fairly confined space threatens to turn the holiest site in Islam into a massive petri dish.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
According to the article we don't even have a specimen of the virus to study. There IS a way to protect us, while fulfilling your concerns. Mossad needs to get the virus to Israeli scientists and have them develop, and sell vaccines and/or drugs against it. The skills exist there. Those willing to buy and use Israeli will. Those not willing will be sorted out by Allah. Everyone — left — will be happy!
According to the article we don't even have a specimen of the virus to study. There IS a way to protect us, while fulfilling your concerns. Mossad needs to get the virus to Israeli scientists and have them develop, and sell vaccines and/or drugs against it. The skills exist there. Those willing to buy and use Israeli will. Those not willing will be sorted out by Allah. Everyone — left — will be happy!
Good point. I remember one story about a high school that first sounded like it was right out of the “28 Days Later” movie. A week later the real numbers there went like you describe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.