Really nasty Chinese virus...

[Demented]

Wonder if anyone can help. My DH has a client who has been in China and has now been told to come back home due to the risk of Saars (is that how you spell it?). He has to sign a contract and hand it in to the office (a room within our house). DH and I have already decided that we do not want him in the house a the moment, heard on the radio today that the general advice to all returning from China is to stay at home for 10 days incase symptoms develop. DH has said that he will ask him to sign the contract and send it to us. Now I'm sure I am being overly anxious but is this safe, is there a chance that if this man has this virus it could be transferred on the paper? I'm sure I'm being paranoid but Mumsnet always has the answers.

[Snugs]

The authorities aren't sure yet how it is transmitted - the majority of cases have been through 'face to face' contact, although some have been possible 'air borne' cases (in an apartment block). The official line seems to be that it '...is spread through sustained, close contact.'

In think you are pretty safe getting him to sign the contract and post it to you.

[morocco]

why not keep the contract locked up somewhere safe and in isolation for the 10day incubation period??

[edgarcat]

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[edgarcat]

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[Jimjams]

It's supposedly less infectious than influenza so I think a contract should be safe.

[sjs]

I live in Singapore so unfortunately dealing with the risks and realities of SARS on a daily basis at the moment.
I would say you are absolutely fine to get the contract posted to you. It would also most likely be fine for them to drop it off but it is also reasonable that you would ask him to post it instead (and I would take that precaution for my family.)

FYI, most cases have been spread by direct face to face contact (health workers, very close family members etc). There have been some unusual cases were they believe it could have been transmitted through other methods(eg, in HK they believe it spread through an apartment building through contaminated sewage) but the virus would only survive for up to a few hours without a host (eg, on a coffee cup). Also, the virus is only spread when the person is infectious and that is when they have a fever. Although it is infectious, it is not as infectious as flu.

HTH

[doormat]

sjs It must be a nightmare for you living under the threat of SARS.Take care.

Demented- I would defo get contract posted.

An afterthought here but could SARS have anthing to do with the mysterious yellow cloud over Asia last year????????
P.S I don't want to sound all "conspiracy theory" here but it was strange!

[Demented]

Thanks to everyone. The contract is being posted, DH's client says that there isn't the same hype over there as there is here but even still better safe than sorry.

[sjs]

What yellow cloud??? Must have missed that one... but was living in HK at that time and sometimes the smog was bad enough that I wouldn't have noticed a yellow fog through the grey one.

thanks for your thoughts doormat. At the moment the govt. here seems to be doing a good job at containing it - they are certainly doing everything they could .We are being cautious, avoiding big crowds and cut down on some of dd's activities, but trying to live our lives as best we can. I am feeling a bit cut off though - family have cancelled trips to see us and we don't want to go anywhere either. So feel like total exiles for the first time.

[doormat]

sjs,
I seen it on sky news it was either in Aug02,or near 9/11. There was a yellow cloud over a huge area of asia for quite awhile.No explanation could be given for why the cloud was there, there was a lot of people going around wearing masks. Never found out where it went but the news stations in this country did report on it.I will try and find it for you.

[doormat]

sjs found the article
www.sky.com/sky news
just click on asian pollution cloud in 2002.
it happened in august of that year.

I am not saying this relates to SARS in any way as I am not a expert.
I am only a thinker!!

[mmm]

I don't think there's much to panic about ..yet, 1000's of people die of tb and malaria every day rather than sars, not that that doesn't make it scary. I read that it's mostly old people who die, but I did wonder what about if children get it.

[suedonim]

So far, children seem to be the least likely to catch SARS, according to the news here in Indonesia. They don't know why, but apparently very few children have caught it.

[sjs]

One of the reasons they believe few children have caught it so far, is that it isn't really out in the general population yet - still mostly health workers and very close family contacts. However, children have caught it. It's true that old people and those with compromised immunity seem to be most badly affected but there have also been a lot of cases of healthy young people - and some of these have died. mmm is right that in the scheme of things, other deseases are much more dangerous. The scary thing about this one is that at the moment, they know so little about it that you just aren't entirely sure exactly how best to protect yourself.