I received an email from Irene Q about her post on SARS this morning.

Pastor Simon Loh, 39, of Faith Assembly Of God, Singapore, yesterday died of lung failure, caused by the mysterious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that has hit the region.

He contracted SARS after visiting a SARS patient in the hospital to pray for her. Ironically, the patient in question is recovering and is expected to be discharged soon.

I received a message this morning that Pastor Loh’s family (wife and two young children) have also been admitted to the ICU with SARS. A check with the Faith Assembly Of God homepage stresses that his family is well, but I don’t know whether that is the latest news.

FAQ’s on SARS

The main symptoms of SARS are high fever (> 38° Celsius), dry cough, shortness of breath or breathing difficulties. Changes in chest X-rays indicative of pneumonia also occur. SARS may be associated with other symptoms, including headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhoea.

Based on currently available evidence, close contact with an infected person is needed for the infective agent to spread from one person to another. Contact with aerosolized (exhaled) droplets and bodily secretions from an infected person appears to be important. To date, the majority of cases have occurred in hospital workers who have cared for SARS patients and the close family members of these patients. However, the amount of the infective agent needed to cause an infection has not yet been determined.

Universal precautions are not optional.

While some medicines have been tried, no drug can, at this time, be recommended for prophylaxis or treatment. Antibiotics do not appear to be effective.

Some people have recovered, some are left damaged for life.

As of this morning 1408 cases have been identified in 14 countries with 53 deaths.

World Health Organization

Over 900 people have been quarantined in Singapore, and schools have been closed. 1,000 people in Hong Kong are under quarantine. Travel advisories continue.

The incubation time is estimated to be 24 hours to 10 days.

It is currently estimated 1 in 25 people who contract SARS die.

Scientists in 11 labs around the world are attempting to identify this strain never seen in humans before. Originally thought to be a paramyxovirus, the family of microbes that causes measles, mumps and canine distemper, it is now believed to be a mutation of a coronavirus that causes the common cold and other respiratory illnesses.

Here is an article by Michael Fumento saying SARS is being over-hyped to sell papers and support budgets growths in medical centres and universities.

Philippines
The Muslim terrorist group MILF has killed 13 people this past week in different attacks on villages including a six year old child. The Philippine government is attempting peace talks in the Malaysian captial of Kaula.

Where is Raed?
This blog is getting a lot of attention…..

When bloggers don’t retract
Waxy.org decided to follow the story about the Iraq chemical plant retraction on blogs. 148 were selected. 112 linked to the orginal story but did no followup or retraction. 28 blogs linked to the orginal story and the retraction. 8 linked to the retraction only.
This is an interesting exercise. Mark Byron was on the list and I’ve known him to update or correct posts promptly.
Bias, free time, other events, unawareness of information….all could play a part in why bloggers don’t clarify, update or correct posts.
Junk Yard Blog had this response.

The Najaf plant story hasn’t conclusively been proven false yet. The Iraqi general captured on-site insists that the plant contains a network of tunnels that he and most others stationed there were never allowed into. Those tunnels reportedly have yet to be searched by allied troops. The whole story is still a mystery–if it wasn’t a chem weapons factory, why all the military stationed in and around it? I haven’t run “corrections” or updates because I just haven’t gotten around to it. If it proves false, I’ll report it. Facts are facts.

Blogging Apathy?
Blogging blahs? Too lazy to post? Well, let the handy dandy Apathetic Online Journal Entry Generator do it for you!

Whatever

My life’s been bland. So it goes. Shrug. More or less nothing seems worth doing. I’ve just been letting everything wash over me recently. I can’t be bothered with anything these days.

Current Mood: stagnant

ar arr arrrrr!
Link via Dispatches from Outland :^)

Time Traveller
Pathological liars can be very convincing. A wall street trader has been arrested for insider trading. He insists he is a time traveller from 2256. However, he has been reluctant to reveal the location of his time travelling craft.
Why?
In case the technology falls into the wrong hands.
If you are going to spin fantasies, might as well make them lively.