[Dog Gone]

Millions of Mexicans with SARS will be in no condition to try to sneak into the US. But your main point is valid. We don't even know for sure when somebody becomes contagious.

SARS is already loose on the world, and since we haven't (and probably can't) stop international travel, it's going to continue to spread.

We can slow the spread of it. That's important, because with good medical treatment, the fatality rate is manageable. It's far too high, but it's not like smallpox or the Black Death of the Middle Ages.

As long as we keep the spread slow, hospitals can keep up with it. If millions come down with it all at the same time, all bets are off.

[EternalHope]

Once the Mexican medical system was overwhelmed, we could easily find an enormous wave of people fleeing north to escape the disease.

Sick people who were still well enough to travel would flee, but many people who thought they were healthy would head north also.

[First Amendment]

One thing I wonder about is if the death rate is about the same as flu, why are the health organizations so worried about it? Someone above answered my question about death rates being higher if medical care isn't available - I guess that is the concern...? I mean, I get flu every year and WISH I was dead, but somehow muddle through without medical care. But my question is: does SARS have a similar death rate to flu only when good medical care is available for all patients? And what is the death rate if there isn't care available?