Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: EL KABONG!!! who wrote (30462)	3/31/2003 1:59:43 AM
From: EL KABONG!!!	Respond to of 74559

thestandard.com.hk Virus claims 13th life Matthew Lee The death toll in the viral pneumonia epidemic rose to 13 yesterday, as the number infected topped 500 and it was learnt that at least one consulate-general had advised its citizens to leave Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the number of disease victims at Amoy Gardens in Ngau Tau Kok increased by 36 - well over half the new cases announced yesterday - taking the number to have fallen ill in a single block to 121. And as infection fears continued to spread worldwide, Thailand and Singapore stepped up curbs on air travellers. A 74-year-old woman with a history of other diseases became the 13th fatality when she died in United Christian Hospital yesterday. Her death followed that of an 83-year-old male patient with a history of cardiac disease in Prince of Wales Hospital on Saturday. As well as the Amoy Gardens residents, the 60 new patients confirmed yesterday included six medical staff. Fifty-two patients were in intensive care. It was not clear last night how many people had heeded a warning by the South Korean consul-general to leave Hong Kong. Businessman Henry Kim said the warning had been issued in a pamphlet with the weekly Korean newspaper, Wednesday Journal, but he would not be leaving. ``The new number scares me, but I am going to stay in Hong Kong,'' the 40-year-old Kim, who works for South China Paper Company, said. ``The notice was not official, because there are 16,000 Koreans in Hong Kong and it is impossible to contact them all.'' But he said worried parents had booked tickets home when a child fell ill at the Delia School of Canada at Tai Koo Shing that had 200 South Korean students. ``Some companies have been paying their staff to fly their wives and kids back to Korea since last week,'' Kim said. ``I am worried that some may have carried the virus there.'' In other international response to the outbreak: Singapore's health ministry said that, from today, nurses will be on hand to meet all flights from affected areas to check ill passengers. Thailand said it would quarantine for at least 24 hours any incoming traveller suspected to be infected, and issued another warning urging Thais to avoid visiting China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam. A crew member of the Super Star Leo cruise ship returning from a voyage to Vietnam was rushed to hospital in Hong Kong yesterday after falling ill with fever and a cough. At Amoy Gardens yesterday, shops were closed for cleaning and some residents, especially in Block E, where 121 had fallen ill, said they were moving out, at least temporarily. ``There are too many neighbours getting sick,'' a Block E resident giving only her surname, Leung, said. ``I am scared, I check my temperature every day,'' she said, adding she was moving to a relative's home ``probably for a week or two''. Officials from the Department of Health were sent yesterday to question every resident in Block E and five surrounding towers. A Block C resident said officials asked whether they had pneumonia symptoms or had had contact with patients. Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong said he believed the number of pneumonia patients discovered would rise in the next two weeks after which he hoped it would gradually decline. ``When we start talking about contact tracing, infected individuals will continue to be found, so the net numbers will grow for one or two weeks,'' he said. He added there was evidence the virus would weaken after having been transmitted several times. The department will start sending letters today and tomorrow to people who have had contact with pneumonia patients, urging them to see specified doctors once a day for the next 10 days. Those who failed to do so would be tracked down by the police missing persons unit. The department's community medicine consultant Tse Lai-yin urged travellers entering Hong Kong to honestly report any pneumonia-like illness for their own sake. 31 March 2003 / 01:41 AM KJC

To: EL KABONG!!! who wrote (30462)	3/31/2003 2:25:17 AM
From: Cogito Ergo Sum	Respond to of 74559

Hi Kerry, Up to 70 percent of those infected in Block E live in one wing, leading experts to wonder if the virus is airborne or even waterborne. Here they've not mentioned waterborne yet (though I wondered about that) however they are actively discounting airborne at the moment although not ruling it out. They are advising washing of hands and masks if appropriate. It seems the virus is viable up to 3 hours on its own so (and this was actually mentioned by health officials) that you could get it from something as simple as an elevator button and then touching your eye or mouth... regards Kastel