The End is Nigh: WHO confirms human-to-human birdflu case

[Zakharra]

Assuming that it keeps it's 90-100% lethality. A huge number. If it has the 60% that was posted earlier in the boards, still a large number of people will die. Society would crack like an egg dropped from a 20 story building for sure. For awhile.

How many would die afterwards would be unknown. Panic is very likely and a form of martial law. People being people will do what comes naturally and many will panic. I hope to the goddesses that this does not happen. Seeing a 10-30% or higher population drop would be terrible.

[Tynndahl]

In Guangdong province in rural China it is early winter and "Mr. Li," a farmer, comes down with a severe respiratory infection. His son leaves for Beijing, carrying the SARS microbe and its descendants on a journey that will span the world. One of its major destinations is Toronto, where thousands will be forced into quarantine to stop the spread of SARS.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization weighs the risks of SARS spreading from Toronto. WHO issues an unprecedented travel advisory in April, warning people not to go to Toronto unless necessary, in order to minimize the risk that Toronto could export the disease to countries not equipped to handle it

Ethics and SARS: Learning Lessons from the Toronto Experience, 2003


SARS was real. I live in this city of 5 million. The city went into a panic. medical/asbestos masks flew off the shelf. I was put out of work as U.S. film stars were afraid to film in Toronto. International Conventions were canceled. Billions revenue dollars lost. Over 3000 normal people quarantined in their homes. Nurses, Doctors getting sick treating those that are infected, or died. Many lost lives. old, and tragically the young. Cancer treatments postponed...Airport contamination zones implemented... I flew to Scotland that week...Everyone on board was advised to wear a mask.

It was like out of a movie...

But THEN the Rolling Stones came to Toronto for a free concert, called appropriately "SARS-Stock"

and everything is okay now. come visit.

Anyways, my point is how fast everything spread. the news, the media hype, the panic and distrust, and of course sars.

I'd hate to see a pandemic of the bird flu, if this response and result is any indication.

~Tynn

[Mulu]

Well look at the bright side: We'd all have plenty of time to stay at home, eat our 5 year stash of oat bran, and play ALFA all hours of the day. At least until the power went out and there wasn't anybody around to repair it.

[MorbidKate]

Which reminds me to watch The Omega Man sometime this weekend.