WHO: Worst of SARS Over in Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Canada

Fox News ^ | 04-28-03

[Brian S]

BANGKOK, Thailand

[goldstategop]

We can be reasonably cautious. Figures from dictatorships like Vietnam and China are dubious. It may be they're hiding the true picture to look better to the world at large. That being said, I think at least its not looking like its spreading in a giant wave around the world. The outbreaks of SARS have been for reasons not entirely understood yet, pretty localized in its geographic appearance and duration.

[friendly]

Figures from dictatorships like Vietnam and China are dubious.

You got that right. SARS will cripple the Chinese economy, as it becomes endemic. Tourism? Hell, I won't even go to a Chinese restaurant.

[bvw]

I have a theory -- or better a wild hypothesis! Crazy, unsupported, etc. etc.

It's that SARS is a combiniation of vector factors, including a virus. That this collection of factors has parts that compete within itself and that those competitive factors are being spread along with the deadly factors. What may have happened is that the SARS complex of factors has been around for quite a long time, and that some recent and temporary mutation within one of its parts became deadly and unchecked by the other competitive factors within the complex.

Anyway, that's my wild speculation ...

[aardvark1]

Announcement from another omniscient bureaucracy.

[Nachoman]

"Vietnam has been able to show the world that there is hope that SARS can be contained,"

Merely give patients the lead pill to prevent them from infecting others. Problem solved.

[Squawk 8888]

We've almost got it beat here in Toronto- 19 days since the last new case.

[goldstategop]

Baghdad Bob: I can assure you Toronto has SARS licked for good. SARS is never coming back to the heart of Ontario!!!

[Nov3]

We have turned the corner everywhere but China. Hopefully India is on the ball.

[Chipata]

"We have turned the corner everywhere but China. Hopefully India is on the ball."

Given China's enormous population, that's little comfort. From that same WHO official:

"Heymann, who is in Bangkok to attend an emergency summit on SARS of Southeast Asian leaders Tuesday, said the situation is worrisome in China.

"In China, as you know, we are receiving more and more reports of cases and it doesn't appear it has peaked as far as spread" of the disease is concerned, Heymann told reporters."

http://www.komotv.com/stories/24524.htm

[GrandMoM]

....pure BS!

[libtoken]

BBC reports that two new cases were confirmed in India, bringing the total to 9 so far.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2981325.stm

[FreepForever]

I beg to disagree. I think that dictatorship should be better able to contain SARS than any other democratic governments. As we know, tyrants and dictators have the least respect for human lives and human rights. They can take draconian measure to prevent the decease from spreading. For example, they can shut in a hospital with army barricade and risk the medical care personnel. Do they really care whether they live or die? What they really care is to prevent the foreign press from reporting those unspeakable stories. Measures like this is never possible in free countries.

[flamefront]

As politicians get hold of science, this kind of wishful hand-waving occurs as they claim containment.

Make note of who and where these reports come from now as the epidemic increases, we will know to WHO not to listen.

BTW since
The common ancestor of the SARS E2 spike protein also gave rise to the rat sialodacryoadenitis coronavirus spike protein. It would appear that SARS E2 spike protein and the avian infectious bronchitis viruses and feline infectious peritonitis virus and canine cornavirus as well as the porcine respiratory virus were derived from a common ancestor.
is it not true that animals like birds, rats, cats, and dogs could continue to carry the virus back into the human population later, right?

[N. Theknow]

You got that right. SARS will cripple the Chinese economy, as it becomes endemic. Tourism? Hell, I won't even go to a Chinese restaurant.

SARS is spread by cats?

[aristeides]

Announcement from another omniscient bureaucracy.

Well, in this case we'll know soon enough whether or not they're right. Let's hope they are.

[aristeides]

One speculation is that the SARS virus naturally occurs in some animal that was brought to market to be eaten in Guangdong some time recently.

[MatthewViti]

bump!