COMMENT: Even More Worrying than Iraq!
Whilst the business travel community has, quite rightly, been concentrating on the Iraq war and its consequences, something potentially even more dangerous is developing in south east Asia.
Ignored in the main by the news desks a deadly virus seems to be developing. Kus, know as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), it first emerged in China's Guangdong Province and has spread to around a dozen other countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that questions should be put to air passengers leaving Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hanoi, Singapore, Toronto and Guangdong province to try and identify those who might be carrying the virus. The WHO has also given instructions to airline staff on what precautions to take if they think someone on board a flight is displaying symptoms such as a dry cough or a high fever. Concerns over the disease, for which there is no cure, are growing and the US State Department is expected to issue a warning today about travel to China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The deadly virus has killed more than 50 people and infected nearly 1,400 others says WHO. In Singapore and Hong Kong schools have been closed until 6 April in an effort to contain the outbreak. The WHO wants tougher screening at airports in Asia and Canada amid fears that the highly contagious illness is being spread by air passengers. Singapore Airlines, to its credit, has become the first airline to implement a policy, but it is a very worrying development that the world just does not need at this present time. SARS may not mean anything today but in all probability it will become a major talking point very quickly. As if the airline community has not enough problems! http://www.who.int