SARS sneaks in while we worry about war.

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On this week's Dreamland, science reporter Linda Howe gives us a special report on SARS. It's spreading fast, and health officials now admit they don't have any effective medicine to treat it. An entire apartment building has been infected in Hong Kong, raising fears that SARS can be spread through the air, rather than by droplets from sneezing or coughing, the way most viruses spread. Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the CDC, says, "The global epidemic continues to expand. We recognize this as an epidemic that is evolving."
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http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=2552

anyone else worried about this dodgy virus? sounds devastating. i hope it doesn't end up here!

Very worrying. Why do strange new viruses always seem to come from Asia?

Because many asian countries are rapidly cutting down jungle and as a result many exotic insect and animal species are coming in closer contact with humans.

Thats one theory at least.

I heard somewhere (dont ask for a link) that SARS is suspected to have come from bats.

Cross species contamination eh Snafu?? Good point on the destruction of the natural ecosystem. Also Asia's high population density makes it a perfect environment for the muilplcation and distribution of viruses.
Also, there were a couple hundred of kiwis over in HK for the sevens. WHat are the chances one of those people will be a carrier???? 20,000 people packed in a stadium?? Perfect environemt to pass on a virus :/

simple, just stay away from the waterfront & rugby fans d-man

Am I the only one who is hoping it kills more of us off??

hehe good point dpt. maybe I should start hanging at house gigs then
Rival - I think so. Whats your reasoning behind that??

I don't like humans D-Man lol

Nah I think 6 Bil is a plenty large number for a destructive virus like humans and would like to see our numbers decrease...

Was kind of hopeing that Aids would wipe us all out, but it's just not working fast enough.. I will consult 'The Greys' soon and see if they can come up with something a little stronger.

China needs this virus the most in my opinion. They have 1.25 billion people aready.

If they all jumped in the ocean at once, we would all drown.

So... What the hell does it take for authorities to get serious about such a deadly virus?

Hong Kong is but a businessman away, and when Auckland gets it - and it will get it - then the reality of the situation will finally hit all us thickies who COULD have prevented it.

I don't have a problem with so many stupid people out of the gene pool though, however, it might take ME with it.

I heard that some countries have been fibbing about the numbers of people that have contracted it.

what do you mean?

I mean that there has actually been way more cases now that various people have been more honest about how much it has spread.

Dont like humans, Rival. You're one, aint you?
I agree about the over population thing. But im sure the species will reach a equailbruim at some stage. Excuse my spelling.

problem there d-man, is that we are well past the equilibrium, but technology has allowed us to continue on - good thing yes but what will happen is when we eventually reach the LIMIT (note not equilibrium) of the planet, we'll all probably die, or be put back into the stone age... think earths revenge!

I thought that might have been the case after I posted my last comment, dpt. Advances in medical technology have created this population boom.

Yes I am a human and I do like humans underneath my frustrations and comments. I desire our species to survive and live on. But it’s just that I recognize a problem with our current situation when I say that I want more Viruses to kill our species off reducing our numbers...

I have decided that I probably won't have any kids.. And if I do, it will hopefully be one at the most. Because my instinct is telling me that the earth is getting overpopulated.

We need to control our numbers.. If we don't then nature will control our numbers for us... however I would like to see more of us collectively taking an active responsibility for our species and how we relate to all aspects of this planet, and us (instead of nature) controlling our numbers. We certainly have the intelligence to do so.

We need to realise that were not just floating through space on a giant rock, that it too is a living breathing organism. Like the bacteria that feed on our bodies’ waste product, we too can live in unison with this planet.

But regardless Nature will sort us out eventually, or we will destroy ourselves through our own ignorance. Like a Biologist said to me on another forum, the problem is not with the Earths rising water levels from global warming, but is with all the new strains of bacteria that will be developing in the water vapour and humidity, that will destroy us.

And I’m not sure if our ‘over use’ of Anti biotic will work on every new virus variant, are you?

I think capitalism will take care of our out of control population growth. If more people actually start thinking 'can I afford another kid' before they have one then the world will be a much better place.

I think it comes down to education myself regardless of our Economic System... But while I like Capitalism in many ways, what the capitalist system tends to promote could kill us off in others..

This may have been covered in another thread, but...

The doctor in Thailand who first reports SARS to the World Health Organisation died of SARS today.

I think the scariest thing about this disease is how easily it spreads. Many hospital staff are coming down with the disease. These are professionals who have process for dealing with (normal) viral diseases

first reported*

pretty shocking as to how fast this is spreading

Gulp my new landlord is in Hong Kong at the moment on business!

Plus he will be living in the same building as me when he gets back.

He can stay the fuck away form me!!!

Doctors are also scared that the virus is an airborne varity i.e not restricted to being passed on just by coughs, sneezes etc.
The NZ health authorty is not being proactive and not screening the returning HK 7s supporters. This could be a bad move :/

Maybe they should just not let them back in the country, there are already too many rugbyheads in NZ as it is, what sort of person wastes there money on going to the HK 7's anyway.

haha I did, last year I had the time of my life

Oh, forgot that.

Viruses evolve spread effectively then any other known organism. They can olny surive on a livving host. The scary thing about the viruses in recent times is the cross species contamination I think. These so called new viruses could just be adapting to human hosts, thats pretty scary. Humans are a selfish race ....better if we get rid of a few and let the ecosystem reach an equilibrium without human intervention I say. Bad thing is I might die too :o( Oh well ....we are only moving backward it seems, at this day and age we are seeing the beginnings of a war. .hmmmm me out ...sheesh i get carried away....ciao

just heard on the radio that cases of this sars virus have been found in Australia... it's getting closer.

Its likely we will get cases here but that doesn't mean it will spread once here. Check out the link I supplied and you will see most countries with cases are from overseas visitors returning.

Man there is a major hysteria about this disease. 62 deaths in what like 3 weeks? Thats nothing. Compare it with normal rate of deaths from pneumonia or something.

For what its worth tho, i agree with Rival that due to current populations, the ease of worldwide travel, and the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, will no doubt lead to some sort of mass culling of the population at some stage through a disease. What works against Ebola is its effects come on too fast, and most sufferers die before infecting many people. If Ebola took an extra week to gestate symptoms it would have ravaged the world by now. A sobering touch of reality.

Lets hope so, the future of the planet raped of all nature due the the ever increasing size of mankind is a terrifying thought to people like myself. I agree a cull would be usefull to mankind, and the thought of death by nuclear winter or plain old over pollution, is much less palatable to me.