I have no cite. I’m not saying that its a justified concern, just that it was an issue which was discussed. I mentioned it because it related to the question re: mutation.
:dubious:
Out of a total of 1402 cases, there are 94 deaths. This is slightly more than 7%.
Again, as it has been pointed out, 99.9% of the population is untouched.
I am not sure if that is a possibility. That is, could the virus become airborne and still be infectious? The common cold seems to negate this.
I can not comment on the probability this will happen. I only know that it has been speculated. Would anyone like to offer a more informed opinion?
Oh, hell. I stand corrected.
Since I posted there have been cases at the Royal Columbian Hospital and they’ve shut down a whole floor. That’s in New Westminster, just across the river from where I live. Matter of fact, I was born there. I work in New West at my AM job. I think I’ll stay off the Skytrain and busses for the next few weeks.
So far it hasn’t affected me directly. Church, work and the boy’s schools are SOP.
Understandably so, and we keep telling ourselves that. It isn’t worrying me as much as it should perhaps, but I’ll tell you why we have a right to be concerned.
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Hong Kong is the most densely populated city in the world (If anyone needs a cite I’ll give you one). The government is taking all the precautions it can, but that doesn’t mean that the general public has calmed down. And HK doesn’t have particularly clean living conditions either.
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As of 21st April, we have 1402 confirmed cases and 94 deaths. Compare this with China, perhaps the worst-affected country: 1959 cases and 86 cases (considering the information that they have released is truthful). Now compare the geographical size of Hong Kong to that of China.
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Sure, more than 99.9% of Hong Kong remains unaffected. But many of the cases coming up here are those of medical personnel. The hospital ICUs in HK are under enormous strain from the number of incoming patients who need the hospital resources. Doctors and nurses are working days on end without a break. This leads me onto number 4
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Hong Kong doesn’t have that many hospitals (around 40, if my source is correct) compared to China or to Canada. We’re probably going to have to transfer patients to China if this rate keeps up!
(Well, I dunno if this is possible)
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More and more younger people (between 35 and 50 years) who have no history of medical conditions are dying. My theory on this is because ICUs here can’t provide the proper attention needed by critical patients, due to the strain on medical facilities and personnel.
Oh, and today’s figures just came in. 32 cases with 5 deaths. I’m not worried, just concerned.
1959 cases and 86 ** deaths ** :smack: :smack:
Seeing that droplets are the main means of transmission, so a bit more rubbish on the side of streets don’t make much dfference. As long as you wash your hands and wear a mask (I think glasses help in some cases), you should be all right.
Yeah, as you said, density makes it worse. It is speculated that hot weather inhibits the virus though, and it’s rather hot in China these days.
Total cumulated cases of 331, minus 122 recoveries, minus the med students. About 150 medical workers, not that bad.
Size matters
The number hasn’t exceeded the 4% or so estimated mortality rate, no?
How many recoveries? I think that’s important. As long as you have more people leaving hospitals, the stress decreases.
Yeah you’re right about that… I think a total of 460 have recovered and have been discharged, and 25 today.
You bring up a good point about the temperature and how it may help inhibit the virus, which is precisely what I thought at the beginning before being corrected by a couple of colleagues. They say that the virus isn’t able to survive on surfaces very long (and they usually don’t for very long) at higher temperatures (27 degrees celsius or above)
Maybe someone can clarify this?
You know Maccao hasn’t got one single case? What are they doing right?
And South Korea?Last I checked they were still SARS free.
I think they’re just lucky, the Macau government hasn’t taken any precautions different to the one’s we’re taking.
I can’t speak for S.K. though.
Does anyone know if people who have recovered from SARS successfully are then immune to it, or can they get it again?
No, they won’t be immune to catching the virus again. But should they be unfortunate enough to be infected by SARS again, the symptoms are likely to be much milder, since the person would have developed antibodies.
I think it’s ridiculous. Here in Syracuse, a student who went to Toronto is now classified as a possible SARS case, even though he was sick before he went on the trip and the county health commissioner says there’s no way he has SARS, he just falls under the new definition of a suspected case.
Just a few quick questions, they may be difficult or impossible at this juncture to answer, but I’ll toss them out there anyway. How does SARS actually kill a person? For instance what is the actual cause of death? What is the mortality rate of “normal” pneumonia? Can “normal” pneumonia and SARS be confused? How easily? What is the average age of someone who has contracted SARS?
Just some questions I had while reading the previous posts.
Pneumonia kills because the lung tissue fills with fluid (imagine your lungs turning into wet blankets). The air sacks fill with fill with puss and other goo, so oxygen has a really tough time getting into your blood stream. Death is similar to being smothered or suffocated.
Normal pneumonia has a mortality rate of about 10%. So “what’s the big deal then?” you may ask, SARS has a mortality rate of 4-6%. … Well, normal pneumonia isn’t contagious like this. More people are getting SARS than would get pneumonia.