From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri Apr 04 2003 - 11:54:50 MST
Ok, well now we are getting somewhere -- it looks like the virologists
are concluding what we have is a new type of coronavirus (so the
paramyxovirus -- related to measles/mumps may be out of the picture).
Identity of killer pneumonia bug confirmed
http://www.newscientist.com/news/print.jsp?id=ns99993582
So we have a "data-point" -- perhaps 6-months from a novel viral
outbreak to nailing it down. Not a good number -- though it was
probably doubled due to China's information suppression policies.
(For comparison -- we have the ability to totally sequence a novel
virus in less than a day at several major sequencing centers).
So to respond effectively to possible novel "green goo" situations
or bioterrorist activities we need to reduce 6-months to 1-day.
On a negative note, according to the news this morning - the U.S.
is apparently offering free flights out of China for all family
members of state department officials stationed in China.
Robert
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