Skip to comments.
37 In United States May Have SARS
Dr. Koop ^
| 03-24-03
Posted on 03/24/2003 9:50:31 AM PST by Mother Abigail
The United States now has 37 suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The latest list from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 17 states with suspected cases, including New York with five, California with eight, and Texas and Hawaii with three each.
There were no immediate details of the new U.S. totals, which have increased by 15 since Friday. But the global toll of suspected and confirmed cases of the deadly respiratory illness also continued to rise.
In Hong Kong, the top hospital health official was hospitalized Sunday night with pneumonia symptoms, as health officials there announced two more deaths and another 38 people infected, the Associated Press reports.
Hong Kong Hospital Authority chief executive, Dr. William Ho, was reported in stable condition Monday, according to the AP, but it is not yet clear whether he has SARS. Officials say Ho had been going through hospitals lately to offer moral support to medical workers and patients.
In Singapore, meanwhile, the government reported 14 new cases Monday and ordered 740 people who may have been exposed to SARS to stay home for 10 days in a bid to contain the illness, the Washington Post reports.
Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang said he was invoking the Infectious Diseases Act for what could be the first time since Singapore gained independence in 1965, the Post said.
Singapore's total number of SARS cases is now 65, including 12 in intensive care. That puts it second to Hong Kong, which has 240, and ahead of Vietnam, which has 63.
The new deaths and illnesses in Singapore and Hong Kong are not yet included in the official World Health Organization tally, which now lists 15 countries, 386 cases, and 11 deaths. In addition, there are more than 300 illnesses and 5 deaths in China's Guangdong province that have yet to be officially counted.
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americansars; sars
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100, 101-114 next last
To: Petronski
I'm worried about President Bush and our Republic...seriously.
To: Mother Abigail
Think of the political ramifications...the left will try to use this Bigtime!
To: Mother Abigail
Someone mentioned rubbing your eyes could give it to you if your hands touched the virus. Can one be infected thru their eyes from germs floating in the air? The reason I ask is, I'm wondering whether a half gas mask is sufficent to stop the virus from getting to you. I thought it had to enter the lungs?
83
posted on
03/24/2003 4:14:38 PM PST
by
Merdoug
Comment #84 Removed by Moderator
To: Mother Abigail
Reported last Friday that their is someone with SARS in our county. No info on who or where. Ticks me off they won't give us anymore info. I would like to know if this person has kids in our school!
85
posted on
03/24/2003 4:29:57 PM PST
by
bonfire
Comment #86 Removed by Moderator
Comment #87 Removed by Moderator
Comment #88 Removed by Moderator
To: Discussted
So God wants these folks dead?
Comment #90 Removed by Moderator
Comment #91 Removed by Moderator
To: Petronski
I'm not really worried about me as much as I'm worried about my father, 75. I hear you. My folks are flying across the country tomorrow, and airplanes are veritable incubators.
92
posted on
03/24/2003 4:41:06 PM PST
by
Mr. Mojo
To: CathyRyan
Canadian labs can't confirm
SARS-cold virus link
FROM CANADIAN PRESS
A previously unidentified member of a family of viruses that causes cold-like ailments in humans was identified today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as the leading suspect in the search for the source of SARS.
"Right now for us this is a hypothesis. It is our leading hypothesis," CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding said at a news conference in Atlanta.
Gerberding said CDC scientists have been able to isolate the virus from specimens from some SARS patients and have been able to grow it in culture.
As well, blood samples taken at different times in the course of the illness show at least some patients have no antibodies against the virus early in the disease process but go on to develop them. That suggests the virus is not something they have been carrying for some time, but has mounted a new assault on their immune systems.
But the head of Health Canada's national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg said scientists there have been unable to replicate the results that lead the CDC to believe a new coronavirus is behind the mysterious outbreak.
"We've been aware of these results for a couple days and as yet we've not been able to confirm the results," said Dr. Frank Plummer, scientific director of the laboratory.
"Our results were negative for coronaviruses. And we continue to find evidence of human metapneumovirus."
On Friday, Plummer announced his team had found human metapneumovirus, a member of the paramyxovirus family, in specimens from six of eight patients for whom the lab had samples.
Scientists in Hong Kong had named the paramyxovirus family earlier in the week as the likely causative agent.
To date a number of labs have found evidence to support the Winnipeg laboratory's findings. And scientists at the University of Hong Kong have found evidence to back the coronavirus hypothesis.
Regardless of which is to blame if indeed one of the two is the culprit the findings are surprising. Both types of viruses are known to mainly cause mild cold-like ailments. No one is clear on why one or the other of these viruses may have become a killer.
To: bonfire
Tough call, when/if we can make + identification of SARS, then community notification becomes more likely.
To: Mother Abigail
What if it is both viruses...viral symbiosis.
To: Mother Abigail
Free Republic is a big resource. Does anyone here know a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend who is laid down with this?
96
posted on
03/24/2003 4:54:52 PM PST
by
Goodlife
To: Merdoug
Gas Mask no
Viral transmission in eyes - possible but not likely
This is a coughing, aerosol droplet spread disease
A N95 or N100 surgical mask will provide protection, but certainly not needed at this time...
To: Domestic Church
Artifacts
These are common viruses being detected in an immunocompromised patient.
Artifacts
To: Goodlife
Unknown
To: Domestic Church
A lot of leading world figures came down with the Spanish flu at the Paris Peace Conference in early 1919. A few people at that conference died from it.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100, 101-114 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson