Brian,
I would normally be the last to start banging a drum and trying to bring
this to everyone's attention, but it is worth some caution since we don't
know what is and isn't true concerning the SARs outbreak (please note that I
stopped short of calling it an epidemic, since it isn't unless you believe
everything CNN and the news media would have you believe). If the virus can
survive even for a short time (24-48 hours), it is plenty of time to get
trapped in a bundle of components or PCBs from a Taiwan or Chinese shop
(where the shipping person coughed as it was being shrink-wrapped), possibly
make the trip to other points via air, then be released into the Receiving
areas of an electronics manufacturer. Since this virus may not care if it
exists in a vacuum or in the open air, I would hope that all businesses that
receive materials from the affected regions of the world would exercise some
caution in this regard.
Again, not trying to cause mass hysteria - just suggesting that we use some
caution in what has the potential to be a growing world wide issue.
Dale Ritzen
Quality Manager
AMS
-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Brian Ellis
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 2:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] SARS and the electronics industry NTC
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=CA
298953
>
<http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=C
A298953>
>
> 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>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e
> To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text
> in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
> To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to
> [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
> To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to
> [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
> Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
> Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for
> additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or
> 847-509-9700 ext.5315
> -----------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to
[log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to
[log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional
information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700
ext.5315
-----------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional
information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315
-----------------------------------------------------
|
