SARS Causing Quarantines Around The World!

[DcupSheepNipples]

WHO experts say killer bug may come from animal

"We believe at this stage that it is more infectious than a disease like Ebola," he added.

By Dolly Aglay
31 Mar 2003

MANILA, March 31 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Monday the pneumonia virus that killed nearly 60 people worldwide may have come from an animal and is more infectious than the Ebola virus that ravaged parts of Africa.

Hitoshi Oshitani, WHO's regional adviser on communicable diseases, said the world body was close to identifying the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"We can identify the causative agent within a few days but we are not sure if we can develop the cure in such a short time," he told a news conference.

"The virus genome data shows that this virus might be coming from an animal."

But Oshitani discounted the possibility it was connected with bird flu, which has hit the poultry industry in Hong Kong in recent years.

"The bird flu is an influenza virus. The virus that we are talking about is completely different," he said.

The mysterious pneumonia has spread rapidly, killing 59 people from Canada to southern China, where it is thought to have originated. WHO says 1,550 people in 15 countries have tested positive for the virus.

Hong Kong and Singapore have shut all schools and ordered hundreds of potentially infected people to stay in their homes.

Oshitani said some diseases that infected people in recent years came from animals, such as the Ebola virus from monkeys and the Nipah virus from bats.

"We believe at this stage that it is more infectious than a disease like Ebola," he added.

Experts at WHO are looking at the possibility that the deadly pneumonia is caused by a strain of paramyxovirus or coronavirus. Paramyxovirus causes measles and pneumonia in children, while coronavirus causes the common cold.

If the virus originated from animals, it would be easier for epidemiologists to find a cure, Oshitani said.

"If this is an animal virus, we can probably have an animal model for the experiment," he said. "If this is just a human one, it's difficult to develop a human model."

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

SARS Air Or Waterborne? - Over 200 In One HK Apt Block Infected

By Tan Ee Lyn and Vicki Kwong
3-31-3

HONG KONG (Reuters) - More than 100 people in one Hong Kong apartment block were suspected to have been infected by a deadly pneumonia virus, officials said on Monday, triggering fears that the killer disease was being spread through air or water.

At least two more people died from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong during the day, taking the death toll in the city to 15 and to 61 worldwide.

A total of 213 people living in the Amoy Gardens housing estate were confirmed or suspected to be infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), of whom 107 are from Block E of the complex, Health Secretary Yeoh Eng-kiong told a news conference.

Authorities have quarantined more than 200 other residents in Block E in an effort to contain the virus, which has infected almost 1,700 people across the world, mostly in Asia.

Dozens of health workers in full surgical gear stood guard at the entrance of the apartment block to stop any residents from leaving as policemen in masks cordoned off the area.

But residents said many families had already fled.

The number of those infected in Amoy Gardens, in the heart of the teeming Kowloon district, is almost one-third of the total number in Hong Kong, a city of seven million people.

Two elderly men died of the disease on Monday, bringing the death toll in the city to 15.

A NIGHTMARE

Amoy Gardens is in a maze of crowded housing estates and smoke-spewing industrial buildings in one of the most densely-populated areas in the world.

Proliferation of the virus in such an environment is certain to create havoc and put immense pressure on public hospitals, which are already stretched and barely able to cope.

"We are now examining all possible angles, to see if it is airborne or in the (building's) water mains," a government spokeswoman said of the virus.

Health Minister Yeoh said: "We are now detecting the virus in the fecal material (from Amoy Gardens patients). So that would be one possible potential cause of spread to large populations under unusual circumstances."

"There was a suggestion that the sewage system was leaking...we are investigating."

Experts have previously said the virus was carried by droplets from sneezing or coughing, but the high number of cases at Amoy Gardens has raised fears the virus could be water or airborne.

"Up till today, it is spread through droplets. But no one can rule out that it could be airborne, because viruses change all the time," Yeoh said.

DISRUPTIONS

Fearful of the disease, some companies have ordered staff to work from homes while others have begun to organize backup, skeletal teams in case their workers get infected.

Hong Kong and Singapore have closed schools in a bid to contain the disease and quarantined those exposed. Besides these two cities, deaths have also been reported from Vietnam, Canada and from China, where the disease originated in November.

A doctor from the World Health Organization, who was infected in Vietnam after he had identified the virus, died in a Bangkok hospital at the weekend.

The disease has triggered tighter screenings at many airports and a growing number of countries have advised citizens against unnecessary travel to the worst-affected areas.

In Singapore, nurses have been deployed at the airport to check incoming passengers.

Apart from scaring away tourists, the epidemic has disrupted business in Hong Kong. A growing list of shops, banks and offices have shut after employees were found infected.

Some expatriates have departed quietly, taking their families with them on home leave.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Saturday that the virus may wreak more havoc.

"The potential for infecting larger numbers of people is great," said its director Julie Gerberding. "We may be in the early stages of what could be a larger problem."

Cases have also surfaced in the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Japan, Ireland, Italy and Taiwan.

Almost 1,700 people have been infected worldwide, but some have since recovered. About four percent of the people who catch it die from the disease.
ntact Us

 

[danielson]

airborne is pretty bad in terms of infection. at least if its water borne its something you can contain, or control to some sort of degree. worst case scenario is if it mutates into something a bit more virulent. which means they REALLY have to get a hold on this now

the chinese government has had this in china for a while, some epidemiologist said it was 'smouldering' over there.....

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

The Associated Press.
AP-NY-04-01-03 1436EST

SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 1) - An American Airlines plane is being quarantined on an airport tarmac after it arrived from Asia and four people on board showed symptoms of the mysterious illness known as SARS.

Two passengers and two crew members complained of symptoms similar to those found in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

City health officials said those reporting the illness would be taken off the plane and examined. The rest of the passengers will be told what precautions to take.

 

[Island Son]

Toronto: 2500 people under voluntary quarantine. All elective surgeries cancelled indefinitely. No hospital volunteers allowed, and no visitors unless the patient is very young or dying.

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

Toronto: 2500 people under voluntary quarantine. All elective surgeries cancelled indefinitely. No hospital volunteers allowed, and no visitors unless the patient is very young or dying.

SARS outbreak just gradually gets worse! It's only been a few months since the initial outbreak and it's spreading around the world! Numbers are not epidemic levels, but they are not getting any smaller! Just when they report that is not as bad as it seems the news just gets worse! It defiantly not dying off! It will be interesting to see what a years passage of time will bring regarding SARS!

 

[Doneitmanz]

Here in Singapore, even nurses who wear uniforms are shun in public transport...its getting out of hand and all it takes is just one infected person to start the whole chain...

incubation period is 3-7 days, until the symtoms appear...so its pretty damn diff to spot...

Juz punch the guy beside u who cough next time....after that steralize your fist ...

cheers

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

Here in Singapore, even nurses who wear uniforms are shun in public transport...its getting out of hand and all it takes is just one infected person to start the whole chain...

incubation period is 3-7 days, until the symtoms appear...so its pretty damn diff to spot...

Juz punch the guy beside u who cough next time....after that steralize your fist ...

cheers

Thanks for the info! Since your in ground zero for SARS, share any info you have! Do you know anything about "Super Spreaders" That seems do be where they are concentrating on how SARS clusters are spread! Those with Syphilis and SARS may be Super Spreaders of SARS!

 

[Doneitmanz]

These ppl are termed as "SUPER INFECTORS" they are extremely contagious. In Singaproie alone right now about 100+ ppl are infected and 94 of them were infected by this lady alone! (she went HK and stayed in a hotel with another SARS parient who has died)

The virus apparently can survice on surfaces for up to 3 hrs...

Govt will try to play down on the seriousness of the situation for fear of affecting the economy....the city area is almost empty as compared to 1 month back.

Trains and buses are disinfected almost everyother 2 hrs.

We are all now living in fear and anybody who coughs or sneeze will be stared at!

For me I try my best not to breathe whenever I step into a lift!

 

[plornive]

I'm in Hong Kong and all schools are suspended, most offices require their employees to wear masks, 90% of the people on public transport are wearing masks, 60% on the street. The masks are shitty surgical masks that don't filter the air very well. I have a 3M mask but I don't wear it. The streets are less busy and restaurants are dead. I was in a streetside restaurant and they put us at the front and gave us free wine to attract more customers. I think about 800-900 people have been infected out of 6.7 million.