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Pastimes : SARS - what next?
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To: Henry Niman who wrote (1006)1/21/2005 4:59:33 PM
From: Maurice Winn  Read Replies (1) of 1070
 
Henry, I suppose the reality of the tsunami is more interesting than the theoretical danger of a billion people being killed, another billion seriously sick and the world's economy destroyed, resulting in another billion starving. Especially since news media need visual imagery to sell and the wave was visually dramatic, with people struggling in its wake.

A sick person lying in a hospital bed just sort of lies there and dies there and doesn't make great tv. People have always lain in beds with sickness and then died. It's boring.

But those charged with the responsibility to actually do something about it to prevent it should not be restricted by tv demands. Imagine the profits to be had if an H12N7 vaccine can be developed and everyone in the world wants to buy it. 5 billion vaccinations at $1000 each would be $5 trillion dollars. Less costs of $1 or something, would mean nearly $5 trillion profit.

I suppose a lot of companies wouldn't bother developing it because if they do, governments will just steal their invention and pay them some pathetic fee for their trouble. The politicians would declare it in the public in interest to steal the technology - that's the usual way these things go.

So a lot of people won't bother to try, sticking with things where the returns are more certain. Maybe no vaccine will be developed, or not enough to prevent catastrophe.

Mqurice
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