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If you can still sit down and say this is nothing to worry about, you're ignoring the facts.

Just for argument's sake, let's look at the SARS epidemic.

SARS is very deadly, maybe more deadly than bird flu. It is very contagious, maybe more contagious than flu. It spreads via human to human contact. And in the end, it caused a major temporary hit to the hong kong economy, and that was about it.

Finally, I hate to say this but, it is likely that the poor and minorities will be hardest hit, especially in countries in africa and the middle east and india where hygiene and medical care are questionable.

From what we've seen in Turkey, H5N1 has a mortality rate of 25%, though it's probably a little bit less. There were three deaths out of 12 cases. SARS mortality rate was 10%, give or take a couple percent.

It did spread from human to human, but hosts to the virus were not infectious until they started showing symptoms. H5N1 is not like that. Also, a study found that people sick with H5N1 cough out up to 10 times more virus than people with an annual influenza strain. A similar study found that lab mice needed to be exposed to 1000 particles of H1N1 to be infected, while those mice only had to be exposed to 10 particles of H5N1 to get sick.

Influenza is a completely different breed of virus. It behaves different. It's endemic in wild birds in some parts of Asia. Migratory birds are carrying it everywhere.

I agree that poor and more impoverished countries will be hit harder, but not too much harder. We may be the most advanced country in the world, but we still have some very nasty flu seasons. And that's with vaccines available to the public. Also, because of the risk of "cytokine storms" associated with the virus, it can easily kill young, healthy adults, not primarily children and the elderly like most annual flu strains do.

Finally, I hate to say this but, it is likely that the poor and minorities will be hardest hit, especially in countries in africa and the middle east and india where hygiene and medical care are questionable.

I've got a GREAT idea for a NY Times headline, now that you mention it...

Cheers!