OT: SARS - Should we be worried?
- Thread starter Eternalknight
- Start date
FireLance
Legend
Hi, all. This is Firelance posting in from sunny, SARS-hit Singapore. This is not a report from the trenches. I am not a healthcare worker, nor do I know anyone who is infected with SARS. This is just a view from a man in the street.
For now, at least, life is going on as normal. People are still going to work, going out, going to movies, going to clubs and going to restaurants. There have been changes, of course:
(1) People are starting to show more appreciation for all the work that healthcare workers do.
(2) People are becoming more civic-minded about illnesses. They stay home when unwell, and if they cough or sneeze in public, they make an effort to use a handkerchief.
(3) People are becoming more conscious about health and hygiene, washing hands more often, etc.
(4) Public places are cleaned and disinfected more often.
(5) People are starting to realise that they ought to take personal responsibility for their health and that of the people around them, and that it is irresponsible for them to go around exposing others to germs if they are unwell.
Of course, not everyone will react well in a crisis. We have had reports of buses and cabs that refused to pick up passengers near hospitals or passengers in healthcare workers' uniforms. We have had reports of people breaking quarantine orders. We have had reports of a family who, after being told that they were suspected of having contracted SARS and asked to wait for an ambulance, wandered off to a neaby pharmacy and restaurant, causing the workers in those estabishments to be quarantined as well.
This is the situation here. Life has not stopped. It is proceeding, but more carefully. The bug has not beat us yet.
For now, at least, life is going on as normal. People are still going to work, going out, going to movies, going to clubs and going to restaurants. There have been changes, of course:
(1) People are starting to show more appreciation for all the work that healthcare workers do.
(2) People are becoming more civic-minded about illnesses. They stay home when unwell, and if they cough or sneeze in public, they make an effort to use a handkerchief.
(3) People are becoming more conscious about health and hygiene, washing hands more often, etc.
(4) Public places are cleaned and disinfected more often.
(5) People are starting to realise that they ought to take personal responsibility for their health and that of the people around them, and that it is irresponsible for them to go around exposing others to germs if they are unwell.
Of course, not everyone will react well in a crisis. We have had reports of buses and cabs that refused to pick up passengers near hospitals or passengers in healthcare workers' uniforms. We have had reports of people breaking quarantine orders. We have had reports of a family who, after being told that they were suspected of having contracted SARS and asked to wait for an ambulance, wandered off to a neaby pharmacy and restaurant, causing the workers in those estabishments to be quarantined as well.
This is the situation here. Life has not stopped. It is proceeding, but more carefully. The bug has not beat us yet.
Eosin the Red
First Post
Originally posted by Warlord Ralts
I typed up several things, erased them, typed up some more...Resorted to KISS.
This really is not an intellectual sparring topic. Your last post demonstrated the depth of your knowledge. Wild speculation really is not helpful. People have legitimate concerns and real, if unfounded fears.
When Smallpox gets out of Africa...?
If you want to start another thread on speculative biowarfare, I will be more than happy to play along. However, you might want to read up on smallpox a little before you go dismissing it.
Vaccination? - unless you are military or the CDC/Select public health you are not vaccinated. Humoral immunity is not infinite. We passed the no protection zone about 10-15 years ago in America. Speak with your MD or visit the CDC page on Smallpox vaccination.
I typed up several things, erased them, typed up some more...Resorted to KISS.
This really is not an intellectual sparring topic. Your last post demonstrated the depth of your knowledge. Wild speculation really is not helpful. People have legitimate concerns and real, if unfounded fears.
When Smallpox gets out of Africa...?
If you want to start another thread on speculative biowarfare, I will be more than happy to play along. However, you might want to read up on smallpox a little before you go dismissing it.
Vaccination? - unless you are military or the CDC/Select public health you are not vaccinated. Humoral immunity is not infinite. We passed the no protection zone about 10-15 years ago in America. Speak with your MD or visit the CDC page on Smallpox vaccination.
diaglo
Adventurer
Re: Re: Re: My $1.50
i hate to further nitpick. but they killed the fomite theory decades ago.
visit my website. www.cdc.gov
Mycobacterium tuberculosis needs to be aerolized to be effective. it forms droplet nuclei which are inhaled. usually this requires exposure times of 8hrs or more in close proximity.
to go back to the mask issue. what you need is to be fit tested for a respirator. the point of masks, esp surgical masks is to prevent infecting the patient not the doctor. respirators not masks are used to protect the doctor or health care worker.
i wear a PAPR most days. i work in a BSL 3+ laboratory.
pfisteria said:
i hate to further nitpick. but they killed the fomite theory decades ago.
visit my website. www.cdc.gov
Mycobacterium tuberculosis needs to be aerolized to be effective. it forms droplet nuclei which are inhaled. usually this requires exposure times of 8hrs or more in close proximity.
to go back to the mask issue. what you need is to be fit tested for a respirator. the point of masks, esp surgical masks is to prevent infecting the patient not the doctor. respirators not masks are used to protect the doctor or health care worker.
i wear a PAPR most days. i work in a BSL 3+ laboratory.
Dark Eternal
First Post
Ulrick said:
*Cue "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult.*
On a serious note, where did this bloody thing come from?
I could guess, but then I'd just be jumping to conclusions; and I'm too fat and lazy to jump anywhere for anything.
Dark Eternal said:
Last I heard it was something "new", it just happened.
While 5% death does not sound like much now, it looks like SARS is going to be a seasonal illness. The concern about it should be IF it changes and increases percentage. The other concern is that illness at the same time is a drain to resources and weakens the heath care system.
Eternalknight
First Post
Hand of Evil said:
I thought I heard it came from cockroaches???
Or am I remembering things that didn't happen again?
Dark Eternal
First Post
Eternalknight said:
You have that problem too? Isn't it annoying?
As far as SARS goes, I guess that it sounds potentially quite serious. However, it just doesn't seem to have the wollup necessary to be the 'big one'. I'd imagine that we'll see far, far nastier bugs in years to come.
Just one more repercussion of the human condition in the information age to look forward to.
yay, us.
diaglo
Adventurer
Ralts Bloodthorne
First Post
Eosin the Red said:
At first, I thought you were being insulted, but I've been up late for several nights with a sick child, so I probably shouldn't be so thin-skinned.
I haven't heard of any smallpox outside of labs in quite a while, with the exception of a couple of short outbreaks in Africa that quickly subsided and only hit about 10-20 people. Otherwise, for the most part, it's pretty much gone.
I've read up on it.
I'm still dismissing it. Even weaponized smallpox isn't that big of a threat anymore. Unless there is a radical change in smallpox, it's down and eating dirt.
::shrugs::
I'm vaccinated. Recently.
And yes, I realize that the common smallpox vaccinattion program in the US ended in the early 1970's.
Still, it was a good discussion, if I came across as nasty or sarcastic through my post, and somehow offended you, like I said above, sorry about that.
I'm out of this one. Good life, folks.
