The headlines in Canada are interesting today.

Mystery Illness kills 2 in GTA
(International readers- GTA is greater Toronto area)

There is always a mystery illness somewhere and we don’t know what we think we know.

Is the the headline because it is a slow news day?
No. It’s the headline because of the maybe’s and what if’s.

If medical people chose to call it an atypical pneumonia, that’s fine. It’s a respiratory illness, commonly called influenza. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Think 1919.
How is it contacted?
They don’t know. Respiratory or body secretions. That means airborne or tactile at this stage.
Where is ground zero?
Unknown.
Hong Kong? China? Thailand, Vietnam, Canada?
Who is dying?
At this stage mostly health care workers who have come in contact with the infection.
Known incubation time: 24 hours to 7 days.
Treatment?
Drug resistant. Supportative.

The World Health Organization has issued a travel warning, not an alert, a warning. That is very rare.
The Centre of Disease Control has mobilized it’s emergency team.
Can we grasp the concept of temporary or full quarantine?
Are we prepared for an epidemic, a pandemic?
Will airlines, cruise lines, the travel industry and governments have to make hard choices?
No. Not really, and probably.