SARS

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I'm just wondering - were facemasks in vogue in the Far East before the SARS outbreak? Because if not, Hello Kitty and the like certainly got those out REALLY quickly.

Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 25 April 2003 12:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

In japan its always been de rigeur to wear a facemask if you are ill but still out and about.

Ed (dali), Friday, 25 April 2003 12:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

How are you Toronto folks? I hear nobody supposed to come visit you for a while.
We're fine. The WHO travel advisory against Toronto is the biggest load of horseshit since...well, who knows. Yes, there's a tiny bit of the panic here but if you look at the overall numbers here, it's still relatively minor...betwee 100 and 200 in a city of 3 million, and apparently the numbers are starting to go DOWN.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 25 April 2003 12:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

I hear the ALA covention in Toronto is being cancelled?

phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 25 April 2003 13:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm sure a lot of things in the city are being cancelled, at least in cases where a lot of people will have to fly in from elsewhere. I'm actually kind of worried that the conference I was about to attend in Chicago is going to be cancelled thanks to the fact that they're expecting a ton of people from various Asian countries. Or that Chicago will refuse to let us diseased Torontonians off the plane.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 25 April 2003 13:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

us diseased Torontonians...

Yes, everything is normal here.

s woods, Friday, 25 April 2003 13:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

Its more normal now then when it first started. Though now people are falling over in the subway all the time cause they are too scared to touch the poles.
Sadly its back to standing room only durig rush hour though.

Though between SARS and me eating a street sausage people thought I was a nut.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 25 April 2003 13:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

Aren't you? ;)

I'm trying not to get too upset on the subway...people have always come onto the subway while they're sick and coughing up a lung, that's just the joy of living in an urban centre where people rely on transit to get to work or the doctor. Unfortunately now everyone is a bit more wound up than usual and people are afraid to cough. When I eat sugar or drink beer I get a bit congested in the lungs and have to cough, even though I don't get SICK, but now I'm worried that if I go on a sugar bender people will think I'm some sort of vector. But hey, if that clears a circle around me then maybe that's not so bad.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 25 April 2003 13:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

I havent seen surgical masks for a bit either.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 25 April 2003 14:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

ACtually, I'm surprised about that. I take the subway to work every day in rush hour and I've yet to encounter one individual with a surgical mask. People really aren't panicked too much. I'm not sure whether we should be or not, though I think the potential is there for this to get worse. At work they're talking of putting in place a completely inane half-measure: spreading employees around (so not every cubicle will be filled; shipping some others to a diff location entirely), limiting access to elevators, closing the lunch room, etc. I mean, I think you either quarantine people or you don't.

s woods, Friday, 25 April 2003 14:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

*falls over in happy contented laughter*

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 25 April 2003 14:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

In japan its always been de rigeur to wear a facemask if you are ill but still out and about

This makes a lot of sense. Maybe it would be a good thing if this caught on here in the States, especially for people who are sick but still come in to the office. It's like "Yes, you are such a dedicated employee, but you could please not breathe when I'm around."

o. nate (onate), Friday, 25 April 2003 15:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

In japan its always been de rigeur to wear a facemask if you are ill but still out and about

i always thought that had something to do with the pollution in the area.

and as for toronto, the situation is getting blown a touch outta proportion. i mean we had our fap last week without the transmition of a single disease.
er...
ya.

dyson (dyson), Friday, 25 April 2003 16:11 (twenty-one years ago) link

Great pic, Paul E!

Sarah McLUsky (coco), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

* Not to be confused with Paulie (Shore)

Sarah McLUsky (coco), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

We did sustan three spilled drinks and two bruises though.
At my office, its business as usual.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

Can't you see the burning hate in the cat's eyes?

"I am going to claw everyone of you TO DEATH"

rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Meh. I think it's cute. That's probably why my hands are all scratched up.

Sarah MCLusky (coco), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

four weeks pass...
Now they're saying it may be from outer space.

Rockist Scientist, Friday, 23 May 2003 15:42 (twenty years ago) link

nuh uh it comes from a civet cat!

hstencil, Friday, 23 May 2003 15:51 (twenty years ago) link

Well, one scientist guy thinks it might be from outer space.

Rockist Scientist, Friday, 23 May 2003 15:54 (twenty years ago) link

that dude needs to get with the program:

Masked palm civets have short fur that can be brown, orange, red or gray, with black bands on the head and feet. They eat mostly fruit, weigh up to 13 pounds and have bodies that grow up to two-and-a-half feet long, with tails of nearly equal length.

Judging from their activity and feeding habits, infected civets do not appear to feel any ill-effects from the virus. Only a small number of civets have been tested so far. Professor Yuen declined to say precisely how many, but most seemed to have the virus.

It is possible that the disease originated in another species and then spread to the civets, he said at a news conference this afternoon, while adding that he believed that the disease came to people from civets. While no tests have been done, it is also "theoretically possible" that household cats could become infected, as they are very similar biologically to civets, Professor Yuen added.

The raising and slaughter of civets and other exotic animals should be strictly regulated to prevent further outbreaks of SARS and possibly other new diseases, he said, while contending that a total ban on consumption of them could not succeed. "It is very difficult to stop a culture; it has been there for 5,000 years," he said.

hstencil, Friday, 23 May 2003 15:56 (twenty years ago) link

'Professor Wickramasinghe admits there is no hard evidence for his theory; and researchers who have been working on Sars reacted with a mixture of disbelief and ridicule.

There is nothing strange about the Sars coronavirus, they said; it certainly evolved from other known viruses.

One leading expert said Professor Wickramasinghe's letter "must be a joke"; another said it is simply ridiculous.'

surely it is the Professor's name that is the joke here?!@@

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:59 (twenty years ago) link

The best news of all is that apparently it's turned up in Toronto again (or it's suspected, anyhow). The weirdest thing about this new emergence is that it's well after the incubation period of 20 days since the last known case, and there were no obvious connections/lineage discovered as of yet. Great. Just great.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 23 May 2003 16:32 (twenty years ago) link

Well Hstencil doesn't add is that the REASON the civet SARS virus tranferred to humans was because, in China, they raise civets TO EAT THEM

THEY GOT THE DISEASE BECAUSE THEY WERE EATING KITTENS DO YOU SEE?

GOD IS A TWEE BASTARD

Millar (Millar), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:33 (twenty years ago) link

Well there up to five and they think they found the link. Another hospital transmission. The problem at the moment is the one who they think is the source already had it and recouvered.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:14 (twenty years ago) link

Has nothing to do with kittens. Everybody knows it was some guy who had sex with a gay green monkey in Haiti.

Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:19 (twenty years ago) link

Tracer, from the UK that doesn't sound such a weird name. Probably Sri Lankan, or just maybe very south Indian.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:24 (twenty years ago) link

Aren't they closer to ferrets then kittens?

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:27 (twenty years ago) link

They are cats! Does it matter? Somebody find a picture!

Millar (Millar), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:36 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.drudgereport.com/civet.jpg

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:40 (twenty years ago) link

SARS - mysterious lethal disease whose appearance is attributed to a virus spontaneously "jumping" from one species to another

AIDS - mysterious lethal disease whose appearance is attributed to a virus spontaneously "jumping" from one species to another

I need to not be so paranoid.

conspiracy theoristalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:44 (twenty years ago) link

From factmonster.com: "Civets are not true cats, but the civet family is related to the cat family (Felidae)."

j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:46 (twenty years ago) link

Glad to see the old prejudices sitll going strong.

Mary (Mary), Friday, 23 May 2003 19:33 (twenty years ago) link

What 'prejudice?' They eat cats and that's how the experts are thinking the disease was transmitted, from raising the animals and handling the meat. Whether they should or shouldn't eat civets isn't my business, true, but the facts are the facts, is all I'm saying.

I for one am massively impressed by the way knowledge and research data about this disease has travelled through the international medical community. I think the way this has been handled by the WHO etc. is nothing short of amazing, really. Look at where we years ago with regard to similar new illnesses. Like Wow.

Millar (Millar), Friday, 23 May 2003 19:39 (twenty years ago) link

Im still a bit piss about the travel advisory.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 23 May 2003 19:43 (twenty years ago) link

It's the gleeful dissmenination of the 'facts' that is distasteful.

Mary (Mary), Friday, 23 May 2003 22:45 (twenty years ago) link

oh, okay

Millar (Millar), Friday, 23 May 2003 22:49 (twenty years ago) link


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