Jinn of Current Events

A reader from Sweden comments on the relative death rates of SARS (4-20%, depending on who you believe and how you count) and normal flu (0.4%) and correctly stresses that the real danger is in how many people contract SARS and how fast it might spread. The latest news is that SARS appears to be contained in Vietnam, and several countries managed to quarantine vectors soon after landing, before they could infect others.

Death by flu is a greater risk. A normal Swedish flu ... kills 4,500 people yearly. [Out of 9 million people in Sweden] 10-15% get infected. ... Gives one some perspective. Indeed. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) only 3 SARS cases have been reported in Sweden, and 2 of those have already recovered.

Here is specific, recent data from WHO, in their 2003-Apr-28 SARS report: the cumulative world-wide number of cases (since 2002-Nov-01) is 5050; only seven countries report local chains of transmission; so far, 321 people have died of SARS, 2342 have recovered -- hence a 13.7% death rate. The death rate in Hong Kong is higher, at 19.4% -- and Canada has experienced a 23.4% death rate. One would expect even higher numbers to come out of mainland China in coming weeks/months, if the Communist regime chooses to tell the truth.

There is no need to panic, less so than when hearing about the normal flu. One would hope that good journalists will provide reasoned perspective on relative risks, as well as insight into the flu — e.g. how primitive, unsanitary conditions in Chinese farms allow new dangerous viruses to mutate and jump between pigs, poultry, and humans every year. 

The Guardian: You are more likely to die from influenza, malaria or even by falling down the stairs at home. But that hasn't stopped the fear of SARS escalating out of all proportion to the risks. SARS may have killed 320 times since last November. In that period of time, tens of thousands have died from the standard flu and pneumonia. Meanwhile, malaria kills a child every 30 seconds in Africa. The hidden, terrible story of malaria is that these children are murdered by the irrational environmentalist opposition to the use of DDT in fighting malaria. Why "murdered"? Thanks to the systematic use of DDT after WW II, the number of malaria cases in Italy (to pick an example) dropped from 411,602 in 1945 to only 37 in 1968. That's why one can say with certainty that the millions of children dying of malaria every year are the victims of a mass-murder performed in the name of environmentalist dogma.

See also: Mosquitoes with malaria in the US (2002-Oct-10)
Silent Spring vs mankind (2002-Sep-27)
Environmentalism and malaria vs man (2002-Jun-13)