Pissed off at SOME SARS patients

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Surely by now you've heard of SARS, the new "disease" that's spreading around China and (at least most publically in North America), Toronto.

First off, to ease the public hysteria over it, it is not as deadly as news outlets make it out to be. Yes, it does and can kill, as you know. But the rate of death from SARS is much lower than many known diseases, and even common pneumonia. There is a 95% chance of recovering for most HEALTHY people. This isn't quite the Black Death here, folks.

That said, I do believe people who have it should handle it cautiously. A new case has just popped up where a SARS nurse who was being tested for the disease rode a commuter train (The GO Train in Toronto) during that time. And now she has been diagnosed with it and people are worried she might have infected people.

These kinds of people really piss me off. The provincial government has been telling people--nay, YELLING at people to try to avoid the public when being tested or if you're diagnosed with the disease. But then there are some people who la-dee-da on to a train full of people with the full knowledge that they probably shouldn't be and now they've opened up a new can of worms. In my opinion, this is tantamount to someone with the knowledge that he or she MIGHT be HIV positive who goes around screwing their boyfriends or girlfriends while assuring them they aren't HIV positive.

This is not about treating people like lepers, this is just common sense when dealing with an unknown disease. Some people just have no common sense, or are just downright irresponsible.

Oh yeah, I'm also mad because I ride the GO Train to school, but in this case she wasn't on my route. Still pissed because the germs have a history of incubating in certain climates.

Stupid lousy idiots.

[BLACKHEART]

Would you call this woman a murderer?

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Would you call this woman a murderer?

Good question. A murderer is someone who has an intention to kill people. This is someone who was irresponsible and careless about the welfare of others. Kinda like someone chucking a cigarette into a forest during a dry and hot day.

I'd probably still confine someone like this to community service, though. Away from crowds, of course, until she recovers.

[zmanjz]

Good question. A murderer is someone who has an intention to kill people. This is someone who was irresponsible and careless about the welfare of others. Kinda like someone chucking a cigarette into a forest during a dry and hot day.

I'd probably still confine someone like this to community service, though. Away from crowds, of course, until she recovers.

Hmmm...

Knowledge of a possible infection...

A Duty to protect others from sickness (as a nurse)...


Seems like a case of recklessness

and therefore if someone dies: Involuntary Manslaughter. (Don't know if this crime exists in Canada.)

It'd be a stretch, but a good DA could make the case (If she wasn't a nurse, she wouldn't have the duty, or knowledge that makes it reckless.)

[TimTwoFace]

This is one reason why I'm glad I'm not in Toronto right now. I wouldn't be scared of SARS so much, but the hysteria the media is causing would get to me after a while. There is still a real danger there, and I hope that all our TZ members from the Toronto area are fine...and stay that way...and that goes for the rest of the city. And now the folks in Montreal, too, as I heard it MAY have spread up the St. Lawrence in that direction.

Is that woman that MAY have passed on SARS a murderer? No. Can she be held accountable? No, because nothing can be proven and it wasn't intentional, anyway. Is she an idiot for not isolating herself as soon as symptoms arose? Yes.

What I don't understand is, why did Toronto get nailed so hard with SARS, and Vancouver didn't? The same flight and same people that came from that now-infamous Hong Kong hotel landed here first - some even disembarked before the plane carried on eastward - and the city is totally clean. There were precautions taken at the airport for a few weeks, and I'm assuming there still are, but that's about it. Why the big difference? Is this all because the infected patients that were taken to hospital weren't treated or isolated properly? I'm really quite confused.

-Tim

[Psilon]

I heard that people who are in quarantine are not staying quarantine. Thats downright irresponsible.

[Nightflower]

There's been some ridiculous cases of discrimination against Asians ever since this whole thing started, such as people harassing some sort of Asian organization by saying "Chinese people are dirty like pigs and eat like vermin" or something like that. I mean, I can maybe understand why... hell, my mom phoned me to stay away from Chinese people... but it's still bloody stupid.

And yes, I think the media is irresponsible for whipping up people into a panicked frenzy and for people to ignore their quarantine if they've been diagnosed.

[Zechs]

I heard that people who are in quarantine are not staying quarantine. Thats downright irresponsible.
In that case they should lock them up in whatever medical facialty they are at, with gaurds and all untill they are better.

[wonderfly]

About this media frenzy: What would you prefer? Thanks to world news organizations, the world has caught on to this virus before it had a chance to spread ALL over the world. As it is, it's just in Southeast Asia, and Toronto for some reason. (well, there has been some cases in America, but no one's died here yet). I'm saying sometimes it's good that the news harps OVER AND OVER about a disease...if they didn't, we could have seen a real plague on our hands, (and we may yet still).

By that last comment I mean: Have you heard about those Chinese govt. officials that were covering up the amount of Chinese people infected with this disease? They were supposedly fired, yet got to keep their positions in the govt., (in other words, they just don't have any power). Stupid Communist govt: they've done the exact same thing with AIDS, not really bothering to investigate the number of people in their country that horrible disease has infected. If all the govt's of the world treated diseases like the Chinese govt. does, then we'd have a REAL disease epidemic on our hands.

[Pilmedium]

It is carelessness, not murder. She just does not care about the situation, but seems to have no intention to kill people. After all, most people who get the disease do not even die. Yes, enough do, but it is not a likely story.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

By that last comment I mean: Have you heard about those Chinese govt. officials that were covering up the amount of Chinese people infected with this disease? They were supposedly fired, yet got to keep their positions in the govt., (in other words, they just don't have any power). Stupid Communist govt: they've done the exact same thing with AIDS, not really bothering to investigate the number of people in their country that horrible disease has infected. If all the govt's of the world treated diseases like the Chinese govt. does, then we'd have a REAL disease epidemic on our hands.

All governments engage in damage control. While the Chinese government's news coverups are well-publicized, I do think they get discriminated against because they are (kind of) still a communist government. I just heard that the U.S. committee covered up failed drug tests for their players in the Olympics sometimes. Now there's a brouhhaha stirring.

And even the Toronto provincial government has lagged behind at times concerning SARS and similar public cases. Despite reassurances that the SARS outbreak is not out of control, the virus has continually proved itself to be a chameleon.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

It is carelessness, not murder. She just does not care about the situation, but seems to have no intention to kill people. After all, most people who get the disease do not even die. Yes, enough do, but it is not a likely story.

I think the worst part of it is not the fear of dying, but walking around your house with a mask on and locking yourself up into a single room 24 hours a day for about a week, with nothing to do.

I feel sorry for those that do, but I have no sympathy for those who'd be careless enough to subject others to this kind of experience.

Oh well, if I catch it, I guess I'll declare the computer room MY ROOM. If I start posting 25 posts an hour then you know I've been quarantined. :p

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

There's been some ridiculous cases of discrimination against Asians ever since this whole thing started, such as people harassing some sort of Asian organization by saying "Chinese people are dirty like pigs and eat like vermin" or something like that.


Well, as a Chinese, I must say if you walk around Spadina or Hong Kong you certainly do get that impression. On the other hand, a lot of Chinese HOMES are actually unusually clean. Which basically goes to show that most Chinese have no respect for public property. :p

But to be honest, despite calls for extremely good hygiene, I really think this virus has more to do with a simple common cold evolving to a point where antibiotics have no effect on it. Treat it like an old fashioned cold and you should be all right. Chicken soup, folks...