Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » April 3, 2003, 10:18 am

The way this thing is spreading, it looks like it might turn out to be the plague of the 21st century. I suggest everyone read over the CDC and WHO websites reguarding SARS. Hopefully they find a way to get this under control before it starts spreading anymore, but since they believe it's a mutated version of the cold, that means its a virus and there is no way to kill it.

Be careful if you have to travel, or even if you don't. Wash your hands like you have OCD.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » April 3, 2003, 10:59 am

With a particularly nasty cold floating around, it makes it all the more necessary to visit a doctor right away just in case. I am finally getting over that bastard after like 7 days. Glad it was just a cold...

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » April 3, 2003, 2:09 pm

I think its more important not to freak out about it and start calling it "the plague of the 21st century." Its not that big of a problem and the media is exacerbating people's fears as usual. You have more of a chance of dying from most anything else than contracting SARS. Be more concerned about those things.

Edit: Or better yet read The Culture of Fear

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » April 3, 2003, 2:18 pm

Lalanae wrote:I think its more important not to freak out about it and start calling it "the plague of the 21st century." Its not that big of a problem and the media is exacerbating people's fears as usual. You have more of a chance of dying from most anything else than contracting SARS. Be more concerned about those things.

Edit: Or better yet read The Culture of Fear

I am in so much agreement with you.

Legenae · Post by **Legenae** » April 3, 2003, 2:26 pm

Toronto seems to have a big outbreak of SARS.

So far, 7 people are dead.

http://www.canada.com/national/story.as ... EF954B1AA8[/quote]

EDIT: Veteria, the 's' stands for SEVERE not secure.

miir · Post by **miir** » April 3, 2003, 2:39 pm

You have more of a chance of dying from most anything else than contracting SARS.

The death toll from SARS has surpassed the 2003 murder count in Toronto in a matter of 1 week.

For some of us, it's a real threat.
There is 130 reported cases in Toronto and 7 fatalities so far.
1 hospital has completely closed down.

Yeah right, it's just the fucking media blowing it out of proportion.
Just like the 46 dead in china and the 2200 reported cases of SARS.

Yeah, I guess people realyl needn't worry about a untreatable illness that could potentially kill thousands of people.

Fortunately, I work in a fairly isolated area in my office and I have been walking to and from work.. so I am at fairly low risk.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » April 3, 2003, 2:44 pm

A bit more than thousands. 3% of the people who contracted SARS has died.

From what I heard in a news report, most of hte people that have passed are elderly and people with severe diabetes and other compounded illnesses however if everyone in the world were to catch this,, well 3% of 6-7 billion is a VERY high death toll(180 million)

Ooga[foh] · Post by **Ooga[foh]** » April 3, 2003, 3:10 pm

Lalanae wrote:I think its more important not to freak out about it and start calling it "the plague of the 21st century." Its not that big of a problem and the media is exacerbating people's fears as usual. You have more of a chance of dying from most anything else than contracting SARS. Be more concerned about those things.

No doubt, don't buy into all of the hype. It's one thing to be aware and interested, but don't blow it out of proportion. Someone could easily unleash some chemical bullshit without a problem. Not even a mile from my house is a HUGE water supply to our neighborhoods that is completely unguarded. Someone could go fuck with that at any given moment. We used to sneak up there and smoke dank and drink beers and we never even saw anyone else the entire time. Sure it bothers me, but if it does happen, guess what? There isn't shit I can do about it.

All this is just a world we are going to have to accept and do the best to be prepared. Become educated, not paranoid. The media could help if it didn't focus so much on the negatives. Hopefully someday they will learn. Somehow I doubt it though.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 3, 2003, 3:11 pm

If you travel, you're so fucked these days. There's no avoiding contact in airports and airplanes. Those security checkpoints are a germ paradise.

Just think of all the new diseases and viruses that the Newfs brought back to an unsuspecting remote Newf population. They may get wiped out like the Aztecs!

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » April 3, 2003, 3:13 pm

It's too bad that China didn't come forward with the info before it got out of hand. They probably could have let the WHO step in and contain it early enough. It's typical of China though.. they can reform all they want but they still have a problem with telling the truth internationally.

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » April 3, 2003, 3:15 pm

Winnow wrote:Just think of all the new diseases and viruses that the Newfs brought back to an unsuspecting remote Newf population. They may get wiped out like the Aztecs!

I think the newfs were pretty well sterilized from all that liquor all weekend

Especially that Rianna fellow hehe. Definately good to drink a lot of precautionary warp core breaches.

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » April 3, 2003, 3:27 pm

It's too bad that China didn't come forward with the info before it got out of hand. They probably could have let the WHO step in and contain it early enough. It's typical of China though.. they can reform all they want but they still have a problem with telling the truth internationally.

Seems like they have a problem saying ANYTHING internationally, truth or no.

SARS is some scary shit, but so are half a hundred communicable diseases that are alive and well int he world tody. SARS is just the one on the front page at the moment.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » April 3, 2003, 3:31 pm

Sirensa wrote:
Winnow wrote:Just think of all the new diseases and viruses that the Newfs brought back to an unsuspecting remote Newf population. They may get wiped out like the Aztecs!
I think the newfs were pretty well sterilized from all that liquor all weekend Especially that Rianna fellow hehe. Definately good to drink a lot of precautionary warp core breaches.

I get the impression that Newfies have a pretty hearty genetic makeup.

Want healthy babies? Procreate with a newfie!

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » April 3, 2003, 3:39 pm

I wasn't trying to freak anyone out, just to be cautious of their every day activities. This is a deadly virus that has no cure and is spreading fast. I would say that's something to be cautious of.

And thanks for the correction. Was typing as I was putting shoes on this morning and was a brain-typo

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » April 3, 2003, 3:42 pm

i was flipping through the TV while i ate lunch and saw Fox 5 (Los Angeles) doing a location spot in Times Square for their morning show.

The caption underneath the reporter was "SARS in the City?"

thought that was pretty funny. funny in that it was very tacky.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 3, 2003, 3:58 pm

It seems to be a little more serious up here than down in the states from what I'm hearing, but I'm still not worried. Maybe it's a matter of we don't see this much death on the news in Toronto :/

miir · Post by **miir** » April 3, 2003, 4:01 pm

SARS is some scary shit, but so are half a hundred communicable diseases that are alive and well int he world tody. SARS is just the one on the front page at the moment.

SARS is a virus.

Mambo the Short · Post by **Mambo the Short** » April 3, 2003, 4:02 pm

Here in Singapore there is a real threat, all the schools were even shut down for a week and concerts are being canceled. Likelyhood of getting it is not very high but the measures that they are taking are just to ensure the problem does not get out of hand.

Atokal · Post by **Atokal** » April 3, 2003, 4:30 pm

miir wrote:
You have more of a chance of dying from most anything else than contracting SARS.
The death toll from SARS has surpassed the 2003 murder count in Toronto in a matter of 1 week.

For some of us, it's a real threat.
There is 130 reported cases in Toronto and 7 fatalities so far.
1 hospital has completely closed down.

Yeah right, it's just the fucking media blowing it out of proportion.
Just like the 46 dead in china and the 2200 reported cases of SARS.

Yeah, I guess people realyl needn't worry about a untreatable illness that could potentially kill thousands of people.

Fortunately, I work in a fairly isolated area in my office and I have been walking to and from work.. so I am at fairly low risk.

130 SUSPECTED and confirmed cases = you blowing it out of proportion.
In a city of 4.3 million people and SARS being around for 3 weeks with only 67 confirmed cases = you blowing it out of proportion.

The fact that it is droplet contagious vs airborne = you blowing it out of proportion.

The fact that NO hospitals have been shut down (shut down meaning no patients in the hospital and no staff) it is true that one hospital is not accepting new patients.

see how the media and miir create hysteria?

miir · Post by **miir** » April 3, 2003, 4:42 pm

The fact that NO hospitals have been shut down (shut down meaning no patients in the hospital and no staff) it is true that one hospital is not accepting new patients.

Semantics.
A quarantined hospital may as well be considered closed down.

130 SUSPECTED and confirmed cases = you blowing it out of proportion.

What the fuck?
I said reported cases.
I said nothing about suspected or confirmed.

The fact that it is droplet contagious vs airborne = you blowing it out of proportion

Where did I mention anything about the contagion of SARS?

I know you like to be argumentative, but you can't even logically dispute any of my points.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » April 3, 2003, 4:42 pm

Atokal wrote:see how the media and miir create hysteria?

Fuckin' Miir...

It seems like everytime there's a plague, Miir's around.

He's like that fucking monkey from Outbreak.

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » April 3, 2003, 4:53 pm

SARS is a virus.

True. So?

Ebola is one nasty motherfucker, but you don't hear about it on the front page. SARS seems to travel better, which is a concern, but it is also a hell of a lot more survivable.

Jugata · Post by **Jugata** » April 3, 2003, 4:57 pm

Rianna will be promptly shot if he exhibits any signs of contamination on arrival.

miir · Post by **miir** » April 3, 2003, 5:08 pm

You said it was a communicable disease when it is actually a virus.

Ebola is one nasty motherfucker, but you don't hear about it on the front page.

That's because quite a bit more is known about Ebola and how to prevent it. Outbreaks of Ebola are mostly limited to 3rd world countries in tropical areas. Also, Ebola can be effectively diagnosed and treated.

SARS seems to travel better, which is a concern, but it is also a hell of a lot more survivable

It's an adapted strain if it can survive in this weather and in a clean city like Toronto. That's the scariest thing about it. Virii thrive in unsanitary conditions. If this makes it to Africa it could be incredibly devastating.

Searyx · Post by **Searyx** » April 3, 2003, 5:10 pm

Why do you people consider 180 million dead to be a bad thing? Seriously.

At the rate we're going, overpopulation of our planet is not that far off. Go figure! Nature finds a way to cull away some of the masses, and everyone goes spastic.

Acies · Post by **Acies** » April 3, 2003, 5:15 pm

Heh, don't take this the wrong way kids, but if I was going to design a virus for a short world life expectancy with a moderate pre-ordained mutagen factor to eliminate some people, this would be ideal.
You see, the reason why this has most medical proffessionals concearned is this strand seems to be a variation of the pneumonia virus.
Now, really as a vessel for a designer virus, the pneumonia strand is idea because it is resiliant, last for roughly around 3 hours in the atmosphere or earth, and because there is no cure for it.
Also SARS has been recently found to be in the Paramyxo family of virus, which is the family of several diseases and conditions, including measles and Parainfluenza. Here I found this Here

Larry Anderson, M. D., Chief, Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia wrote: "That's certainly possible. Some of the Paramyxo viruses of course, measles is very efficient in transmitting. But I don't think it's going to be that's more of the small particle airborne transmission. But the other Paramyxo viruses, respiratory S. virus, Parainfluenza virus and the human metanuma virus recently discovered, are pretty efficient transmitters. What this means, we don't know, but that is certainly one of the possibilities, that it would spread more widely. We don't know yet."

What I personally consider disturbing is that recently (in the past 5 years) there have been eight new viral strands in the Paramyxo family that are ATH posative, that is Animal to Human transmition. However if this is such a created disease I do not think it's makers would be that reckless as to give it potential globe crossing capabilities, but the concearn if it has been or could possibly mutate into such a virus is frieghtening.

Basically if this is or changes into Avian viral transmitted, take the 2000 or so that have it now and start increasing that expenetially per week.

Also I find it very curious where the outbreak was based out of.

Anyway, just some thoughts to kick around

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » April 3, 2003, 5:18 pm

Ebola has such a short kill time that you pretty much have to be standing in front of a hospital when it hits to be diagnosed and treated.

You're right, I did use disease rather than virus.

Still, SARS isn't even coming close to killing everyone who contracts it.

Hell, influenze kills 500 to 1,500 canadians a year. It seems surprising that a virus with such a low mortality rate is generating so much press.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » April 3, 2003, 5:45 pm

Lalanae wrote:I get the impression that Newfies have a pretty hearty genetic makeup.

Want healthy babies? Procreate with a newfie!

Yeah its our hearty atlantic stock

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » April 3, 2003, 5:46 pm

Searyx wrote:Why do you people consider 180 million dead to be a bad thing? Seriously.

At the rate we're going, overpopulation of our planet is not that far off. Go figure! Nature finds a way to cull away some of the masses, and everyone goes spastic.

The fact you continue to exist is scientific proof that nature is doing a shitty job culling anything.

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » April 3, 2003, 5:58 pm

Kyou

Atokal · Post by **Atokal** » April 3, 2003, 6:38 pm

kyoukan type-R wrote:
Searyx wrote:Why do you people consider 180 million dead to be a bad thing? Seriously.

At the rate we're going, overpopulation of our planet is not that far off. Go figure! Nature finds a way to cull away some of the masses, and everyone goes spastic.
The fact you continue to exist is scientific proof that nature is doing a shitty job culling anything.

HAHAHAHA!111!11

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » April 3, 2003, 7:59 pm

miir wrote:You said it was a communicable disease when it is actually a virus.

SARS is a disease not a virus. The pathogen responsible for the syndrome is a virus.

miir wrote:It's an adapted strain if it can survive in this weather and in a clean city like Toronto. That's the scariest thing about it. Virii thrive in unsanitary conditions. If this makes it to Africa it could be incredibly devastating.

The virus is vectored human to human directly...the environmental conditions have minimal impact on it's propensity to spread. I don't think it's ability to survive in Canada represents the new mutation. It's mutation is or seems to be substantial polyresistance along with apparently higher pathogenicity.

It would and very likely will indeed be devastating in Africa. This outbreak is a long way from controlled. Given the mobility of humans odds are good on this becoming pandemic.

Nevertheless if you want to talk about pathogens/syndromes to fear HIV/AIDs and Tuberculinum/Tuberculosis have this all beat to hell in terms of potential for wiping out a large percentage of the population. Reasons:

1) HIV is communicable while asymptomatic this virus isnt. People avoid contact with the obviously ill. Tuberculosis is communicable w/o contact.

2) AIDS has a far higher mortality rate

3) AIDs has a much higher incidence rate as does Tuberculosis

4) Odds are good given the nature of this virus that a large % of the race has substantial auto-immune response to the pathogen already. AIDs cripples the auto-immune system.

5) We have inadvertantly created Tuberculinum bacillii which are resistant to our best anti-biotics...go us...

Tuberculosis and AIDS are much more a matter for concern than SARS. SARS is basically another warning blip. A "Race Killer" it isn't.

In my book the biggest probabilities for a Race Killer out there are in order:

1) Polyresistant Tuberculosis
2) AIDS
3) Influenza
4) SARS
5) Hanta (If it can bridge to common Mice and Rats)

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » April 3, 2003, 8:12 pm

Fuckin' Miir...

It seems like everytime there's a plague, Miir's around.

He's like that fucking monkey from Outbreak.

And I’m telling you, the bitch could be a bigger fucking germ farm than that monkey in ‘Outbreak’!

Fesuni Chopsui · Post by **Fesuni Chopsui** » April 3, 2003, 8:19 pm

kyoukan type-R wrote:
Searyx wrote:Why do you people consider 180 million dead to be a bad thing? Seriously.

At the rate we're going, overpopulation of our planet is not that far off. Go figure! Nature finds a way to cull away some of the masses, and everyone goes spastic.
The fact you continue to exist is scientific proof that nature is doing a shitty job culling anything.

Rofl Kyou, pwned as usual!

valryte · Post by **valryte** » April 4, 2003, 2:16 am

I guess the chinese think 1.3 billion is enough eh?

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » April 4, 2003, 1:45 pm

I thought I read of a case of Hanta being passed through mouse poop or something.

Anyway....I'm of the "fear the media, not the shit the media talks about" midset. The media preys on your weakness and gullibility and need to have some sort of fear in your mind, they thrive off of it, they make billions of ad dollars by creating headliens out of thin air, they can't just say "it will be 70 degrees and partly cloudy, a slightly more aggressive form of the common cold has been discovered, and here are the sports scores, good night" because it won't get people to tune in every night to pump the ratings AKA AD DOLLARS up.

Yes, almost everything they say is true to some extent.....but they always make a bigger deal out of it then it is.

As for Searyx's comment.....Yes, it might thin the herd, but it's only going to kill the elderly and the almost dead already people....not really a good tactic to thin the herd, you would want to kill mainly babies before they procreate and create whole new families. Like if you killed my grandma and grandpa when they were 10 years old you would eliminate 22 people from out population....my grandma/grandpa..thier 3 kids, and thier 17 grandkids. Actually make that 25...they have 3 great grandkids. If you were to kill them now....you would kill 2 people who don't have many years left anyway, and they can't procreate...thier kids do the procreating now....in 100 years thier descendants will number in the hundreds maybe.

But that's not really my main issue with it....my main issue with your comment was the fact your ass would be crying if your parents were thinned from the herd. I do agree that we are growing too fast as a species and we are already seeing our standards of living change OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS. I would like to slow the population growth...but I'd prefer it to be preventitive rather then after the people are already on the planet.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » April 4, 2003, 4:53 pm

Pilsburry wrote:I thought I read of a case of Hanta being passed through mouse poop or something.

Aerosolized urine...but the vectoring rodent was limited to one species (I don't recall which offhand will look it up later but it wasn't Rattus or Mus) so potential for spread was limited to it's range thankfully.