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May 2003

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Subject:
From:
Brian Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum.
Date:
Sat, 17 May 2003 10:24:38 +0300
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Are we not getting paranoid about this? OK, it's a nasty disease, but
not nearly as nasty as many others, such as malaria. I've never heard of
anyone hesitating to unload a container of electronics components
because it may have a female anophales mosquito therein, waiting to
pounce. Ditto for a tse-tse fly from a sleeping-sickness endemic area,
for which the chances of coming out alive are very slim (I have a friend
who did get it and has survived, but he is intellectually and physically
but a shadow of his former self, not because of the disease, but because
of the drugs).

Officially, even in the worst affected areas, SARS is far from having
reached epidemic proportions. I believe the official definition is when
3% of the population needs to seek medical aid during one month. If we
take Hong Kong, for example, this would mean that about 204,000
individuals would have needed to be hospitalised or otherwise medically
treated for it to qualify. In fact, 1,425 cases had been reported up to
28 April, with 122 deaths. This represents 0.021% of the population
reported and 0.0018% of the population died. To put this in proportion,
in 2002, 171 persons died in traffic accidents, 3,426 were seriously
injured and 17,003 were slightly injured, requiring ambualtory hospital
treatment, in a country with a remarkably low traffic accident rate.
(There are many more, where I live, with only 1/6th of the HK population
:-( ).

Relate this to the USA where there are an average of 43,000
fatalities/year from gunshot wounds, 45,000 from traffic accidents and
450,000 from tobacco-related diseases. The latter represents about 0.17%
of the population, nearly 100 times greater than SARS-related deaths in
HK. In fact, it is probable that tobacco-related diseases (cardiac, lung
cancer, emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, digestive tract problems etc.)
has reached epidemic proportions, according to the official definition.

By all means, take reasonable precautions (and wearing masks is not
one!), but let's not become paranoid and panic.

Brian

Ed Popielarski wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I happened across an interesting article regarding the impact SARS is
> having on the global electronics industry. Just thought I'd share some
> casual reading with you.
>
>  http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA298953
> <http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA298953>
>
> Regards,
>
> Ed Popielarski
> QTA Machine
> 10 Mc Laren, Ste D
> Irvine, Ca. 92618
>
> Phone:949-581-6601
> Fax: 949-581-2448
> Cel: 949-337-2578
>
> WWW.QTA.NET <http://www.QTA.NET>
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