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.

Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: steve harris who wrote (174092)	4/14/2003 5:22:31 AM
From: Amy J	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Steve & Thread, 197 HP employees in CN impacted due to a SARS-suspected HP employee coming to work and violating his or her isolation quarantine. Carly needs to send a strong message to her troops, who apparently are out of her influence at the moment. Fire the guy. It's a no brainer. Even our startup has a policy on this: if you enter the work buildings without medical clearance, after knowingly having or being in contact with a SARS suspected or infected person, you get fired. Period. As of a week ago, it's a quarantine illness per Bush's new list. High-tech needs to get much tougher on this issue, to help contain SARS. HP should consider suing the employee too for gross negligence. It's less desirous to do business with a company if the company doesn't get tough on implementing its policies. One country halved its GDP due to SARs, even China has a reduced GDP. More GDP reductions possible, if this isn't contained. At Intel's conference call, I'd like to learn two things: a) what's Intel's estimate on SARS impacting worldwide growth for chips (i.e. with some GDP's reducing, how does that impact INTC.) b) has Intel taken the necessary step-ups in their policies to minimize exposure to SARs. i.e. mandated a fire policy if people come to work knowingly with suspected SARS and violated quarantines, etc. How many plants in affected countries? SARS Scare Puts Workers In Quarantine 197 Canadians at Plant Forced Into Isolation By DeNeen L. Brown Washington Post Foreign Service Friday, April 11, 2003; Page A24 TORONTO, April 10 -- Canadian health officials placed employees at a technology plant in Ontario under quarantine after one worker showed up for work despite showing symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome, officials said today. Authorities said the quarantine order affected employees of a Hewlett-Packard (Canada) plant in Markham, Ontario, near Toronto. "One individual has caused 197 other individuals to be isolated in quarantine and it has impacted that workplace. It has impacted society in general," said Hanif Kassam, acting medical officer of health in York Region. Kassam said health officials were in regular contact with the unidentified worker at the factory, who has now been hospitalized and is being treated for symptoms of the ailment, now commonly known by its acronym SARS. Canadian health officials expressed concern that violation of quarantine orders could harm efforts to contain the sometimes-fatal illness. "We really can't stress enough if someone is in isolation, they must follow the rules of isolation," said James Young, Ontario's commissioner of public security. "If public health says you need to be in isolation, you should be in isolation." Officials said the case showed the dangers of relying on voluntary quarantine and the potential dangers of spreading SARS, about which little is known. Most SARS cases in Canada have been transmitted, so far, in households or hospitals. washingtonpost.com

To: steve harris who wrote (174092)	4/18/2003 7:04:46 AM
From: Amy J	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Steve & Thread, China is hiding SARS patients I had suspected this was the case when my friend came back from mainland China & said China was blocking WHO's website and using delay tactics (that apparently allowed for "prep" time to hide the patients). The WHO people are not pushy enough (and too trustful) China's gov't is risking American interests and global health. Since Bush claims to be protective of American interests, citizens & businesses, why hasn't he taken action against China? I guess Bush is only interested in protecting his industry's oil fields, not American businesses, not historical art. CNN's USA article claiming authorities say Sars doesn't spread by water or air, is inaccurate --- CNN's Asian site says WHO says the major way Sars gets spread is through coughing & talking close. Compared to Canada, our CDC director isn't as good - she hides information that other countries are releasing (e.g. USA city origin of infections), and she down-plays this too much --- wait until HK & Toronto's joys enter our borders --- it's not like people aren't fleeing to the Bay Area --- how is the USA different than Canada or HK -- it's not. But no preventive action here. A data-driven government waits until there's a crisis, rather than prevent it. My bet is Sars hits USA hard in Q4. I sold my Intel Leaps (but will keep holding INTC long.) I bet we can kiss goodbye INTC for Q4. Stephen Roach is probably going to be right about his prediction that Sars will impact the economy. Here's a blurb about China - hurting ill Sars patients by driving them around the block, to avoid WHO: time.com Beijing Hoodwinks WHO Inspectors TIME Exclusive: Hospitals in the Chinese capital hid SARS patients from international health officials BY SUSAN JAKES LOU LINWEI FOR TIME Registration at Beijing's No. 309 Hospital. Doctors say up to 40 SARS patients may have been moved from their wards Friday, April 18, 2003 Before World Health Organization inspectors visited Beijing hospitals earlier this week, hospital officials removed dozens of SARS patients from their isolation wards and transferred them to locations where they could not be observed by the inspectors, doctors at those hospitals have told TIME. On Tuesday, just hours before the WHO's inspection team arrived, more than 40 confirmed SARS patients at the capital's No. 309 People's Liberation Army Hospital were transferred out of their beds to the Zihuachun Hotel on the hospital grounds and at the China Japan Friendship Hospital 31 confirmed SARS patients, all doctors, nurses and hospital workers, were packed into ambulances and driven around Beijing for the duration of the WHO team's visit, the doctors said. These doctors' revelations are the latest in a string of disclosures by local medical personnel that suggest the staggering extent of Beijing's cover up of the deadly outbreak. ... On Tuesday, TIME received a letter from an informed local medical source charging that in order to prepare for the WHO team's arrival, Beijing's No. 302 People's Liberation Army Hospital, already full to capacity with SARS patients, had emptied its two infectious disease wards of SARS patients. According to the source, "The 302 hospital originally had two wings devoted to infectious respiratory diseases where SARS patients were being treated. But now there are only a handful of SARS patients remaining, all of whom are already well on their way to recovering. Several severely ill SARS patients have been transferred to a third wing which is not a ward for infectious respiratory diseases. As for the other patients, I wonder where they've been moved." The WHO team met with officials at the No. 302 Hospital, but never toured the wards. Yesterday, a TIME reporter received a telephone call from another source saying that just after WHO team members said they would make a last-minute visit to the China Japan Friendship Hospital, patients were "rushed into ambulances and driven around the city for several hours." The source, who refused to give her name, said that "nurses at the hospital were furious that they had been confined to ambulances with contagious patients." She added that at the No. 309 Hospital on Tuesday SARS patients had been transferred to an "inn" on the hospital grounds. ..."the government's handling of this matter is absolutely irresponsible."