Posted on 05/07/2003 7:14:35 PM PDT by 11th_VA
The World Health Organization has released new information about who SARS kills and how long it takes to develop, while US health officials say overall there is no evidence the virus is changing or becoming deadlier in any way.
The WHO said the death rate, previously estimated at between 6 percent and 10 percent, now ranged up to 50 percent depending on who fell ill.
"On the basis of more detailed and complete data, and more reliable methods, WHO now estimates that the case fatality ratio of SARS ranges from 0 percent to 50 percent depending on the age group affected, with an overall estimate of case fatality of 14 percent to 15 percent," WHO said on its website.
"Based on data received by WHO to date, the case fatality ratio is estimated to be less than 1 percent in persons aged 24 years or younger, 6 percent in persons aged 25 to 44 years, 15 percent in persons aged 45 to 64 years, and greater than 50 percent in persons aged 65 years and older," it added.
"The likelihood that a person will die of SARS could be influenced by factors related to the SARS virus, the route of exposure and dose (amount) of virus, personal factors such as age or the presence of another disease, and access to prompt medical care," WHO added.
WHO said it still estimated the incubation period of SARS was 10 days, meaning it takes that long from the time a person is exposed to develop symptoms.
WHO's Dr David Heymann meanwhile told a US House of Representatives hearing in Washington that a major concern was what would happen if SARS hit people infected with the AIDS virus, which destroys immunity.
Dr Heymann and other health officials told the House hearing there was no evidence people transmit the virus before they develop the cough, fever and pneumonia that characterize SARS.
Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there was also no evidence that some mutations seen in the virus made it any more deadly.
But all Chinese leaders are old. Most of them over 60's. For SARS to have the desired effect , all these folks should wear air tight space suits everyday. Otherwise, China may secure world hegemony through SARS but they won't be able to hang around to enjoy the fruits of their triumph.
If Hu Jing-Tao and Jiang Zemin are showing up wearing their own space suits, that might be one of the evidences to confirm your hypothesis.:)
Alternatively, you can surmise that this is the plan hatched by younger Chinese political elites to get rid of older leadership figures and achieve Chinese domination of the world in one swoop.:)
Anyone read anything reasonable about the effects of smoking and SARS? Usually people who smoke get respitory ailments more severely than nonsmokers. But since it looks as though SARS kills those that it kills by way of immune system overreaction, how does smoking fit in? Any ideas? The above idea doesn't sound reasonable. Since nicotine is a poison, and smokers usually get worse bronchitis and other lung diseases, why would it be a SARS preventive?
A friend contacted his relatives in Vietnam this week, and the relative said the govt is lying. He said its bad there, and extremely bad in the north, but it is squashed to keep the tourist traffic up. He did say he'd make further contacts over the weekend to see if other relatives agree....
It doesn't.
Rumors are rampant in China and Hong Kong about how smoking can prevent/cure SARS. The rumors have become so widespread that the top doctors in each area have gone out of their way to debunk the rumor. The Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore also went out of his way to debunk the rumor.
The idea that putting something poisonous in your lungs will kill the bad things in there has been around a long time. Remember, back in the days of Sir Walter Raleigh (you know, sailing ships, Queen Elisabeth, etc.), smoking was thought to prevent/cure lung disease.
Curious way to express oneself. I wonder why they didn't say that the evidence suggests that there is no such transmission before the symptoms develop.
I know you did not post that with a straight face after reading about the taxi driver. People will and do try to continue doing what they feel they have to do. This guy took medication to mask his fever so he could continue working while in a small country in the middle of a SARS outbreak. You think truckers in Canada are above that? Come on.
I don't know . . . . it depends on the RN
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