This disease is far spread more than is reported. How do I know? I live in Houston and have been sick for close to two months with something. Very hard to breath and the cough doesn't let you sleep longer than 15 min at a time.
To go to the doctor requires going to the ER and that has a wait anywhere between 24 and 72 hours and that is worse than the disease. America has a very poor heath system if you don't have the money.

24 to 72 hours? You're kidding?
And me, I thought we had it bad over here with often 4 to 6 hours of waiting in the emergency room.

When they first started reporting on this disease, some people thought maybe it was a bioterror attack. They finally concluded it was not.

I live in a very large city that is the medical capitol of the world so that is the main reason it takes so long to get into the ER if they don't send you away. Yes they turn ppl out when they get full.

I should mention that a person can be seen fast if they come in an ambulance. If you do that then you are harassed forever to cover the cost and it is very expensive using the medical emergency services. Example cost: $50 for an aspirin which probably went up since I last seen the cost.

God Bless America? I don't think so.

Take a drive to a city in a nearby town where the hospitals are more quiet?

I agree with paxx, I also thought it was long to wait here in Canada in the emergency room *4 to 6 hours*!I'm glad it is not much more that that.
My brother lives in Toronto, Canada and it is definitely a problem there.He says that he has started to wear a mask now when he goes outside.

Well I am in the hotspot of SARS in Toronto. 4 people have died, 2 hosptials closed and several more on high restrictions. Pretty scarey stuff.

Oops, thought my first post did not go through, sorry for the repetition.

info link...

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5212a5.htm

Frequently asked questions about SARS...

http://www.who.int/csr/sars/sarsfaq/en/

We just got our 2nd case of SARS in N Texas. N Dallas.

2nd case means that there were 2 cases reported. How about the ppl that didn't go to the hospital.

Something to ponder.

They say that SARS is an oriental area thing but how many cities has a significant oriental population that traveled before hand to visit relatives.

Sounds like the flesh eatting bacteria a little. I bet it's man made also. Alot of the nasty stuff was created by us in some way. Alot of time toxic waste creates them.

Naw, it's prolly natural.

I can't help but be paranoid about it...

Look back to the end of WW1 and the early '20s ..... MILLIONS of people died as a result of an 'Influenza' epidemic.
The so-called 'Spanish Flu'.
No reason why it couldn't happen again.
Ms. Delicious, ask for some tests to be done for CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) as SARS is only a short term infection and you would seem to have been ill for far too long.
As for the Health System .... I can't comment or I'll get myself exiled!!

We think SARS has hit Oregon now. 1 case in Portland.