[nopardons]

Flu affects only people with weakened immune systems ? In what universe ?

Since China has hidden just about ALL info, no one really knows about the fatality rate of SARS. And, for the record, even inits early days, the Spanish Flu infected and killed far MORE people, world wide, than SARS has. Facts are our friends, dear; hysteria and erronious codswallop aren't. ;^)

[TennesseeProfessor]

I meant that Flu normally kills only people with weakened immune systems.

[Marie]

Yes, the Spanish Flu was worse. But it also had two runs through the US over about a year. Where will be a year from now with SARS? It's the potential of the disaster that's frightening, not what's happened so far.

[An American In Dairyland]

"even inits early days, the Spanish Flu infected and killed far MORE people, world wide, than SARS has. Facts are our friends, dear; hysteria and erronious codswallop aren't."

One fact you overlooked is that medical knowledge, treatment, equipment, etc. is far more advanced today than it was in 1918. Much has changed in medicine in 85 years. This partially explains why SARS has been recognized quicker, and has been more contained than the Spanish Flu was.

Note that out of those hospitalized, very few patients have been released. Were we still working under 1918 conditions, these people would most likely have already died. Even with the advances of medicine, SARS has a 0.5% higher death rate than the Spanish Flu did.

If China ever really comes clean on their stats, we will have a better picture of how deadly SARS has really been.