SARS case 2 MILES away from my house (Florida)

[Animal]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: Well yes, but as I understood Djinn's post, he was referring to SARS the disease, not SARS the concept. When he said 'SARS is a scam, don't believe the hype' I took it to mean that the 'hype' is the media focus on how scary it is, which causes the panic. If one of the lead stories on the news every night is 'another suspected case of SARS' or 'three more people have died of SARS in China overnight' then of course people are going to see it as much more prevalent and frightening than it really is, especially when you don't at the same time have a story on 'another 4000 people died of influenza worldwide' which provides a benchmark. Not that the 'hype' was how much impact it is having on the economy of places most affected, as if when we hear that Toronto's economy is suffering as a result it is an exaggeration. Our tourism industry in Queensland is also being hit quite hard, especially on the back of the war and September 11 and so on.

I suppose it boils down to interpretation. I see SARS not as a concept, but try to look at the entire picture, including the indirect impact. I agree the media blew SARS completely out of proportion, yet the economic repercussions remain the same and therein is the real victom.

I think everybody's economy has been impacted by the events surrounding and following the WTC. SARS has just needlessly made a bad situation worse.

[Aelia Jusa]

Originally posted by Animal: I suppose it boils down to interpretation. I see SARS not as a concept, but try to look at the entire picture, including the indirect impact. I agree the media blew SARS completely out of proportion, yet the economic repercussions remain the same and therein is the real victom. I think everybody's economy has been impacted by the events surrounding and following the WTC. SARS has just needlessly made a bad situation worse.

Yes I agree. I guess the point I was trying to make regarding Djinn's post and your reply, was that in fact if people took what I think his advice to be, that is don't believe that if you step outside the door without a mask you'll get SARS and be dead by morning, and god forbid you spend any money, it would be better for the economy all round! The reason the economy is suffering is not because people are right in that if they travel and go shopping they will get it, but because the media has made them afraid that they will.