Beijing Posts Surge in SARS Cases as Infection Fears Mount

New York Times ^ | 4-23-03 | ERIK ECKHOLM

[Prince Charles]

Thousands of provincial businessmen, migrant workers and college students, most of them wearing protective masks, crowded railway stations and rushed onto buses today, feeling they would be safer elsewhere and ignoring official appeals for people to avoid travel that could expose them to the virus and disseminate it around the country.

Indeed.

[aristeides]

Beijing announces plan to quarantine people exposed to SARS.

[aristeides]

MYSTERY SUPERFLU: SARS panic hits Beijing; Sea of white-masked faces throng capital's rail station .

[ex-Texan]

Beijing is in real turmoil. People are leaving the city to hide from SARS with relatives in the country. But they may will just spread the disease even more.

More BIG jumps in SARS cases are long over due. By next week the 27 cases that Beijing admitted to just last week will skyrocket up to about 800. Then people will really begin to panic.

[aristeides]

Workers, Students Fleeing China's Capital as SARS Spreads.

[riri]

Meanwhile, how many American executives, salesmen and ex pats are in China on business right now?

[aristeides]

Can't fly to Hong Kong? China will do business by videoconference.

[myprecious]

I was in a Dallas doctor's office yesterday and overhead the nurses talking about SARS. One of them had seen an Oriental woman crossing a Dallas street with a mask on.

[riri]

I can almost understand. I married into an Asian family. I know they are a close knot community. We have many Asian supermarkets here in Phoenix and when I shop at one I am the only white girl (or boy, for that matter). So, I can understand, while we may think we haven't reached mask status yet-if you are part of the Asian community you may feel more at risk.

[riri]

knot=knit

[aristeides]

Toyota to evacuate employees from SARS-hit Beijing.

[aristeides]

New Zealander with SARS in China Hospital .

[riri]

Toyota link has an error.

[AAABEST]

I've been Mr. Happy face about SARS so far, but it seems that this could get ugly.

[myprecious]

I live about 80 miles from the city. I feel "at risk" every time I go into town. I also worry about a mass exodus into the country if things do get rough from terrorism/SARS. These are uncertain times.

[aristeides]

Emergency reaction to SARS in Beijing .

[ex-Texan]

Oops ! My bad. 27 the number should be 79 cases ...

Perhaps Americans and Europeans in Beijing are more isolated culturally to begin with and thus may be a little safer.

[aristeides]

It worked a minute ago, google still has the link up, but you're right -- the link doesn't work now. I wonder what's up.

[Jorge]

"Workers, Students Fleeing China's Capital as SARS Spreads."

I would flee too. But this could help spread it around the country.