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It's interesting to see how long it took an obvious point like this to finally make it into print.

We've known this on FR ever since the disease started. And even though the official press releases did not mention it, I'll bet the docs at CDC and WHO knew it too. (If they did not, then I am REALLY worried.)

The death rate is going up rapidly. First it was reported to be < 2.5% but that figure evaporated after about one week. Then it was adjusted to about < 4%. Then it was increased to 4.9% then last week we saw it hit 9.5% in Canada. But that figure was wiped out by new figures showing a 10.3% death rate in Canada.

Excuse me while I rant and rave a bit.

The true death rate figure needs to be re-calculated as a percentage of all those who were admitted to the hospital, diagnosed with SARS and then released as "cured." I saw the figure on the Internet this morning and it was above 18% ....

Meanwhile, there is even more disturbing news. A Hong Kong medical expert told a symposium yesterday that SARS was looking to be the ideal bio-weapon: There is no natural immunity to the virus, the death rate is getting worse rather than better, there is no known cure, the virus is mutating rapidly, and SARS attacks major organs in the human body besides the lungs.

I saw the report early this morning on Google but they removed it rapidly and the link has disappeared. Saw it later posted here but you have to scroll down to see it.

I do not worry about SARS killing 7% or 10% but numbers above 10% is very scary data indeed.

SARS-infected health worker ‘belligerent’

Ontario health officials say they are worried that a SARS-infected health worker who should have known better attended funeral and church services last week and may have infected “hundreds.”

At a press conference on Monday morning, Dr. Hanif Kassam, York Region’s acting medical officer of health, said the man had all the symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome but ignored voluntary quarantine orders and attended the services anyway.

“He had a fever, he was coughing, and he potentially put many others at risk,” Dr. Kassam said.

When public health contacted the man, who works at an unidentified downtown Toronto hospital, told him he should have quarantined himself, he became “obnoxious, threatening and belligerent,” Dr. Kassam said.

He said he may issue a court order on the man this afternoon and did not rule out legal action.

For the rest of the story....

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030421.wsars0421/BNStory/Nationa