From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Tue May 13 2003 - 12:06:13 MDT
Adrian Tymes wrote:
> ...
>
>I calmly, humbly submit the existing, documented
>infection and fatality rates as evidence. My view is
>simple: what evidence there is supports only the view
>that SARS is a minor disease. It is exceptional
>...
>
With an estimated fatality rate of 40% among those over 60 I don't find
it particularly minor. It seems controllable with quarantine, but so
was smallpox. What isn't clear is:
When recovery occurs, is one then immune to re-infection? For how long?
When will an effective vaccine be available?
Is the fatality rate due to direct action by the virus, or due to
ancillary infections (that might be controlled with antibiotics)?
Are there any residual effects?
Can it be erradicated?
I'm sure that I could find out about the secondary infections question,
were I interested enough, but most of these questions seem to be of the
"nobody knows" variety. But the answers lead to very different guesses
as to how significant the effect of SARS will be.
-- -- Charles Hixson Gnu software that is free, The best is yet to be.
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