Virus(SARS) can live 24 hours outside host, study finds

Globe and Mail (Toronto) | 4/22/03 | Carolyn Abraham

[jerseygirl]

"might help explain how SARS continues to infect hospital staff, both in Canada and Hong Kong, despite their use of protective gear and general infection-control practices"

[Uncle George]

This news is TRAGIC. This virus looks more and more like a man made virus from HELL.

[Mears]

This virus is truly frightening.

[jerseygirl]

I'm beginning to wonder. If not intended as a bioweapon, perhaps other research samples which were inadvertently released.

[Michael Barnes]

< tinfoil>I'm wondering if Ol China wasn't looking at playing around with a bit of population control? Got out of hand?< /tinfoil>

[xJones]

During a 1½-hour teleconference on Friday night, the doctors learned that the CDC experts had discovered the new coronavirus behind SARS could live for a full day on an inanimate surface.

It's even worse, it has a relatively long life span outside the host.

[Dog Gone]

I wonder how long the virus could float downstream in a river like the Ganges or the Yangtze, rivers that serve as bathtubs, washing machines, and drinking fountains.

[valkyrieanne]

How long does the common cold virus live?

[Dog Gone]

Two to four hours, according to other reports posted here.

[toddst]

This virus looks more and more like a man made virus from HELL.

You said what many have been thinking as this situation has gone from bad to horrible. Sure looks like a weapon to me. Wonder who developed and released it?

[SauronOfMordor]

Several things strike me about SARS:

1. It has a high death rate. In Hong Kong, Canada, and other countries, we're seeing death rates of around 18% (when you look at deaths versus recoveries, excluding people still sick). This is in the same league as smallpox
2. Black Plague, while having a higher death rate (50%) was spread by rats and fleas, which makes it a non-issue in the US outside of certain high-poverty areas (and it's treatable by modern antibiotics). Smallpox is not contagious in it's initial stages, and the ill person will be bedridden by the time the contagious stage is reached, making isolation easy. SARS is an airborne disease, and seems highly communicatable
3. SARS mutates, making a vaccine difficult to produce. It also means that those that survive one SARS illness, can get sick AGAIN a few months later from a mutated version (much like getting a cold does not immunize us from colds)

The combination of these factors has the potential to be very ugly. You would have difficulty bioengineering an uglier bug if you tried

[KantianBurke]

Regarding #3, one thing that might be comforting is that as SARS keeps evolving, its lethality will go down. At least thats what's been posted so far.

[11th_VA]

Maybe this deserves it's own thread but ...

Three More SARS Cases Reported In Area (PA & NJ)

Philadelphia Man Had Visited Asia POSTED: 4:35 p.m. EDT April 22, 2003 NBC 10 has learned that health officials believe there may be three new suspected cases of SARS in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Philadelphia Health Department says a Philadelphia man who recently returned from a trip to Asia has a suspected case of SARS. Officials said the man never went back to work once he returned from the trip and was never in the hospital. There have also been two suspected cases in New Jersey. One involves a 68-year old woman who traveled to Asia and was hospitalized in China. She has since recovered and is back in New Jersey. The other case is in North Jersey and involves a Seton Hall University student. The student was visited by a family member who is suspected of also having SARS, officials said. The student was never hospitalized and is doing well.

[Fitzcarraldo]

You would have difficulty bioengineering an uglier bug if you tried

Given the similarity with bovine, pig and avian forms of Coronavirus, would this also pose a threat to domesiticated farm animals?

Not only get the farm sick, but his livestock as well.

[jerseygirl]

What I found was about 5 hours

[aristeides]

Could the virus be killed by adding something like chlorine to the rivers?

[aristeides]

The other case is in North Jersey and involves a Seton Hall University student. The student was visited by a family member who is suspected of also having SARS, officials said. The student was never hospitalized and is doing well.

Confirms the reports that young people do well with the disease.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, very troubling. (Did you read about the link with faulty plumbing- apparently the lines to fresh water were contaminated by sewage lines- and one person with SARS apparently spread it to many in the same apartment complex?0

[aristeides]

Ping.

[cmsgop]

can live 24 hours outside host, study finds

Sounds like an Ex-Girlfriend of mine.......