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Young people predominate in latest Sars deaths concern that the virus has mutated

Question:

One cannot compare miseries: a death is a death.  But the number of deaths in SARS thus far have not touched those in the flu pandemic in the ‘teens. E. P.

Response:

The flu kills upward of 15,000 people in N. America alone in an average year. The total worldwide death toll from SARS so far is still under 100. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – One cannot compare miseries: a death is a death.  But the number of deaths in SARS thus far have not touched those in the flu pandemic in the ‘teens. E. P.

Response:

One cannot compare miseries: a death is a death.  But the number of deaths in SARS thus far have not touched those in the flu pandemic in the ‘teens.

I think the reason the CDC is so worried is that there is no vaccine. Hence, if it does spread quickly . . .

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Young people predominate in latest Sars deaths http://www.guardian.co.uk/sars/story/0,13036,936691,00.html Staff and agencies Monday April 14, 2003 Another seven people have died from Sars in Hong Kong, raising the country’s death toll from the virus to 47 and the global figure to 140. What has surprised doctors in Hong Kong, though, is that six of the people who died recently were relatively young with no other illnesses. Until now, many of the fatalities have been elderly people or patients suffering from other chronic health problems, such as heart or kidney diseases. Doctors in Hong Kong have begun prescribing heavier doses of medicine during the early stages of Sars – severe acute respiratory syndrome. Prior to the most recent deaths, Hong Kong officials had said that most patients without aggravating health conditions seemed to respond well to a treatment of anti-viral drugs and steroids. The acting director of Hong Kong’s hospital authority, Dr Ko Wing-man, warned of the potentially severe side effects of increasing doses of medicine for heart, blood and kidney problems. The senior executive manager of the hospital authority, Dr Liu Shao-haei, said on Monday that some of the younger patients were hospitalised when they were already in a serious condition, and their health worsened even after they received intensive care. Despite efforts to find an effective treatment for the disease, an expert expressed concern that the virus has mutated after he observed that patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital, which was hard-hit by a Sars outbreak, displayed differences in infectiousness, symptoms and the severity of their illness. Early investigations had revealed that the virus believed to be causing Sars had "mutated, but not to a great extent", said Stephen Tsui, a biochemist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Monday. "We want to find out whether it’s because the virus is different that causes such differences," he said. "If we can figure that out, we can then predict which patient will be afflicted more severely." Hong Kong reported 40 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infected people to 1,190.

Yeah, Toronto seems to have taken the lion’s share of this bug and one can only wonder why — i think it’s because the cases are reported and hospitals have gone nuts under the WHO alert; infact most of the people they have reported as having succumbed to SARS are over 65; the younger set get it but do not die.  Also the percentage (which is never mentioned) of SARS epidemic and mortality, is less than the common flu on a yearly basis world-wide; also Quebec, where i live, has had NONE – and yet people have been heard and seen coughing and weezing, and sick in offices, etc.   I think the picture is not clear at all, but the media is having a field day, not to mention the granting agencies for the supposed CORONA virus – which is questioned by one expert in Canada – the bug could be pox related. Squiggles — Pray, v.: "To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner, confessedly unworthy."                                   –  Ambrose Bierce

Response:

This is not from the media it is from the CDC and it said young people are now dying from it too.

"dying too" – correct – but the numbers are not given in comparative statistics to previous flues, for example; Squiggles

Response:

Also the percentage (which is never mentioned) of SARS epidemic and mortality, is less than the common flu Maybe so but this is a cold virus not a flu virus.  Ever heard of being killed by the common cold? It’s not too common.  (forgive the pun)

A cold is a virus – they are not sure yet if this is an evolved virus of the cold family or something else; Squiggles

Response:

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