Blog #5 SARS-Like Virus

There is a new respiratory illness similar to that of the Sars Virus- but apparently it will not spread easily say experts at the World Health Organization (WHO). Looking back, the Sars virus emerged in China in 2002, killing hundreds of people. Sars: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome had infected 8,098 people from November 2002 through July 2003. SARS and the new, un-named, virus - as well as the common cold virus - belong to the coronavirus family. But this new virus is different from any coronaviruses previously identified in humans. The World Health Organization announced Sunday that two cases of a SARS like virus have been reported: a 49-year old Qatari man in critical condition died in a U.K. hospital and 60-year-old Saudi woman who died earlier this year.  This suffered from 99.5 percent identical coronavirus that caused acute respiratory syndrome and renal failure.  Scientific and technological advances in the last ten years allowed health officials to shift from reaction to anticipation this time around. The WHO also announced diagnostic tests were being developed by scientists around the world as quickly as possible.

           From what I have read the WHO organization has not put out an official warning, they are continuing to monitor the situation but were not putting any travel restrictions for Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Fortunately, for us, technology has changed our society and we are more able to control situations like this. When SARS occurred the world was not cooperating with each other, China was refusing to acknowledge they were the cause; however, Qatar immediately reacted to the SARS-like virus situation and exposed this to society so we could be globally aware of what’s happening. In today’s society we are all linked together so we must let each other know when something is happening in our community.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19756089
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/09/25/response-to-sars-like-virus-an-improvement-over-2003-outbreak/

alexa florencio-picazo
9/28/2012
4:42