SARS: A modern plague?

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri Apr 11 2003 - 07:38:26 MDT

  • Next message: Keith Elis: "RE: IRAQ: Predictable catastrophes of human stupidity"

    The NY Times is discussing the merit and attitudes towards
    quarantines of people exposed to SARS.

    April 11, 2003
    Hong Kong Officials Resist Wide Quarantine for Mystery Illness
    By KEITH BRADSHER
    http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/11/science/sciencespecial/11QUAR.html?pagewanted=print

    I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more discussion about
    this on the list. Quarantines obviously run counter to libertarian
    philosophy. After all -- governments effectively "imprisoning"
    people??? But at the same time its hard to be a libertarian
    if one ends up dead from exposure to the latest "nouveaux"
    disease.

    Also worth noting is that the SARS death toll seems to be running
    about neck and neck with the "coalition" forces death toll in the
    Iraqi Freedom war (IFW). But given a doubling time of ~15 days (at
    least in recent weeks) one has to wonder *when* will the death toll
    from SARS surpass the entire death toll in the IFW?

    Robert



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Apr 11 2003 - 07:47:31 MDT