[Mother Abigail]

Just part of a theory that I am working on.

I believe that it is more virulent than reported. That sneezing and coughing are transmitting the virus in large crowds. Airports, buses, trains, etc..Places where tourist gather. Airline engineer might have been infected in terminal or lounge.

Just conjecture, but we have to try to get the theory to fit the data...

[per loin]

The initial WHO worldwide warning seemed early, given the number of cases at that time. Perhaps WHO knew that a flight engineer was one of the cases.

[per loin]

More helpful words from our Alfred E. Newman agency in China:

19 Mar 2003 03:37 China says pneumonia outbreak under control

BEIJING, March 19 (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday the atypical pneumonia outbreak that has affected parts of the southern province of Guangdong since November has been brought "under effective control".

China had "organised medical institutions and medical specialists to give emergency treatment to patients in time, analyse the cause of the disease and take immediate measures to curb the spread of the disease", the official Xinhua news agency quoted Health Minister Zhang Wenkang as saying.

Victims had recovered and life in the area had returned to normal, the agency quoted Zhang as saying in a meeting with Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization representative in China.

The new form of pneumonia has been blamed for 10 deaths -- mainly in Asia -- and made hundreds ill around the world.

[vetvetdoug]

Wouldn't it be wierd if the virus was a variant or mutant of the Canine Distemper Virus and the natural host was a dog? I remember about 15 years ago the virus mutated and killed a number of large cats all over the world, especially lions. If the survivors of this disease develop neurological signs I am going to vaccinate myself with CDV or measles. One can vaccinate a dog with human measles and protect it against Canine Distemper Virus since they are so closely related.

[cricket]

"I believe that it is more virulent than reported. That sneezing and coughing are transmitting the virus in large crowds. Airports, buses, trains, etc..Places where tourist gather. Airline engineer might have been infected in terminal or lounge."

. . .more virulent. . .and more widespread than the cases reported indicate, perhaps.

Have a friend who flies from Europe regularly. . .after arriving home on last trip four weeks ago; she became very ill, with many of the described symptoms. . .high fever, hoarseness (lost her voice)extreme headache, neck pain etc. Her son then became ill. . .both were close to going to hospital, but she insisted trying 'other means' of treatment.

She received medicinals from Germany etc by way of a Doctor who includes 'alternative health therapies'. . .they both recovered after a week or so from extreme symtoms. Her neighbor came down with same and did go to the hospital and was there for a couple of weeks hovering between life and death but did recover. . .

She described this as an 'extreme flu'; also mentioned that the CDC had been apprised and my friend offered, though I do not know if correctly and hence my earlier question. . . that the molecular combination or somesuch. . . was not a naturally occuring combination of viruses. . .

Also, know of a teenager who became ill, thought she had the flu. . .fever, headache. . .sore throat etc. Waited 24 hours; her fever spiked and she died before ambulance arrived. . .final determination of illness has yet been made; the topic of 'mystery illness' came up while talking about this and apparently they are still investigating the possibilities. . .

So I am guessing that this may possibly be 'out there' more than we are considering, in the general population; but then again, maybe not. . .

OK MA, time to take care of those dishes!