4/24    Just curious, no links, not trolling, etc.  How many of you think
        SARS will turn into a huge global epidemic?  I don't know what the
        infection rate is for those exposed, but I do know from publicly
        available numbers that the death rate is about 3.5%.  If everyone
        on the planet got it (go with me here), we're talking over 200m dead
        world wide.
           \_ The current death rate is an estimate based on a the number of
              estimated SARS cases.  As more patients are diagnosed with non-
              SARS flu/cold, the dead/infected denominator is going to go
              down, so the overall death rate is going to go up.  Just wait
              for the availability of quick clinical tests for SARS.  Whee!
        \_ it is possible.  But it is better to be proactive and aggressive
           now.
        \_ I'd say it's like the flu, but with no vaccine.
           \_ Shoot them?  Gather up everyone with cold symptoms and put them
              away?
        \_ I'd say it's like the flu, but with no vaccine.  Flu mortality
           is ~ 10%.
           \_ TEN PERCENT?  You fucking idiot.  You are innumerate.
              \_ http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/PHA/OSR/cri/Flu.asp
                 22 per 100,000, roughly, or 0.02%
                 \_ This reports lists 22 flu deaths per 100,000 U.S.
                    citizens.  The ~ 10% mortality rate is for those who
                    who actually get the flu.  (Mortality for young healthy
                    adults who get it is about 5%; older, higher.)
                    \_ You are an idiot.  And innumerate.  There is NO WAY
                       that 10% of "those who actually get the flu" die.  Not
                       with recent flu viruses anyway.  Look at this:
                       http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/fluinfo.htm If
                       you crunch the numbers, there you get ~.06%.  Not 5%.
                       Not only are you an idiot, you're wrong by a factor of
                       100.  THINK ABOUT THIS YOU FOOL.  How many people do
                       you know who have died of the flu?
                       \_ About 10%.
                           \_ OK, maybe this is true in your case, but you're
                              still wrong about the flu being 10% fatal.
                              idiot.
                              \_ What makes my case special?  You think I only
                                 hang out with people with weak immune systems?
                                 \_ Yup.  You only hang out with AIDS-sickened
                                    drag queens with weak immune systems.
                              \_ You are the ones who are the ball-lickers!!!
                                 \_ ED!
                                    \_ 10%
                                       \_ It's a tragedy of the commons.
           \_ My mistake.  The mortality rate for flu is 0.1%.  The mortality
              rate for flu and pneumonia ranges from 7%-10%.  The mortality
              rate for pneumonia is 10%.  The mortality rate of 5% for
              young healthy adults was for the 1918 Spanish flu.  Yes,
              I feel pretty stupid. -op