OT: SARS In Canada

[HAC]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

The mortality rate in Ontario is bordering on 10%. The real problem isn't SARS as such, but the inadequacy of the Ontario health system, and the Canadian health care system as well. Having said that, if I was living in Toronto, I'd be more worried about having Mel the Mouth as Mayor, than SARS.
Cheers
Harold

[ssw_96]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Mel the Mouth. Hey what was that protest that wnet on a month or two ago? it involved some woman and her husband being bombarded with cream pies? None of ya'll wasnt in on it was you?

[precision]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Well at least Canadian railroads know how to take care of their train service personnel. Microwaves, fridges, hot plates, I wanted to stop the other day to pick up a old couch on side of the right of way and sit in the middle of the cab. i wish we had it that good. the only downside is no air conditioning. But that crazy MTO thought that someone might have the SARS virus and not know it and so happen that they worked for the railroad or one of its online customers and somehow contaminate the product and it so happened to be on the MTTPB. I figure its a one in 50,000 chance of that happenin. But you guys in canada stay safe.

[davereage]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

>With a fatality rate of less than 3% (ordinary pneumonia is
>higher), this shouldn't even be on the radar. More media
>fear-mongering.

Well said.....the media is having a field day with this.

Look at the number of people who have died in China, it's somewhere around 100 people. While it is unfortunate that these people have died, one hundred people in a country with a population of over a billion people is really a tiny percentage.

People need to calm down.

[Paul1953]

RE: OT: SARS In Canada

So far so good. Fatalities in Toronto approach 20. Most of these people had other medical problems, which made their own situations worse. Remember that this is considered a virulant form of pneumonia, and pneumonia kills thousands of people every year, without all the Chicken Littles jumping all over it, like this case.
There have been no new cases in 8 days, and the W.H.O. is reconsidering its position on Tuesday.
Too little, too late, poor response by all levels of government, and the damage is done. No one can even hazard a guess as to how much has been lost in wages and business here but it will run into the billions. Combine that with the downturn in tourism we've had in the last 3 years and you quickly realise we are in for a rough time, for maybe a year or more.
The reality is that the spring flu outbreak to come will kill thousands world wide and you will not see the kind of punitive action as taken against Toronto. More people died today in car accidents, in Canada, than will succumb to this disease.
Not trying to belittle the situation, and my sympathies are for those who lost family. Having survived pneumonia myself ( and its scary itself) I'm hoping that others will keep it in perspective.

[CGW409]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Harold
Here in the Chicago area we're hoping SARS doesn't become a big thing,
Mayor Richie might order anyone coughing or sneezing shot on sight as a threat to the people of Chicago.

[JonN]

RE: Media is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Even common influenza claims more lives. The flu kills about 36,000 people around the world each year. If you multiply the average number of SARS deaths so far to the time period of a year, you get just over 4,000