Health authorities implemented tough legal steps on Friday in a bid to control an outbreak of a mysterious virus believed to have killed more than 80 people around the world.
Officials in Hong Kong launched a hunt for residents who fled a badly hit apartment complex and President Bush issued an executive order allowing the forced quarantine of patients.
Bush's order allows the Health and Human Services secretary to decide when a quarantine is needed. It calls for the "apprehension, detention or conditional release of individuals to prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of suspected communicable diseases."
Reuters:Science News Headlines{how dutifully everyone responds to the cues:
05 Apr 2003
here! look! fear this!
which I think is some kind of advertising slogan out here in California. anyway, fear this, no this, and now SARS. which from the get I thought presented another fine opportunity for lockdown and 'disappearance', this time outside the military/political venue. no, this is medical, which trumps even terrorism I think, for most people. so far 80 deaths worldwide. while in the US alone over 100 people die every day in traffic fatalities. it must be close to 1000 worldwide. every single day all year long. no worries though. I'm not exactly sure what mechanism is at work there, to get people to accept the one and fear the other, but whatever it is it's incredibly effective.}
