SARS VIRUS

[Guest]

HI does anybody know the situation in thailand of the SARS virus, I read in the paper a farang coming back to england just got it from there. My Thai girlfriend is supposed to be coming over with her mum to stay with me in September, she thinks all Visa's in asia are being declined because of the virus, is this true?

 

They are saying this virus can be worse than aids, because you can host it up to 2 years in your body after having the infection, and well, there is no cure, its a form of Flu and there is and never has been a cure for it, well Benlyn is not exactly a cure hahaha.

 

Anyway will my girl get a visa ? Is thailand screwed ? are my future holidays screwed ? Is the world doomed ?

 

I blame it on some small chinese villager, who is probably shagging his animals and creating a new virus, because where has this been for the past 2 thousand years.

[lopburi3]

I don't know where you are getting your SARS information but a new source might be in order.

 

1. Up to this time there has been no SARS transmission confirmed in Thailand. If this is the tourist reported in the local press here he also visited several infected countries and is not suspected of having caught it here.

 

2. Worse than aids and hides for 2 years? As it was unknown until November of last year wonder who made this story up.

 

3. It appears to be a form of cold; not flu.

 

4. If you GF fails to get a visa don't believe we can blame it on SARS.

 

5. It is serious stuff and worth knowing about but with a little luck will not mean the end of the world. At least not this week.

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply lopburi3. Yes well just reading the papers, (probably listening to my parents too hahahah) just seems like its not being taken as seriously as it should be (well in england) sounds a pretty bad disease. One of my friends has just come back to study from china 2 days ago and she said they are doing tests at the airports. She was worried because she wants to bring her parents over to start a business here, because of this virus, visa's are being declined. She has been studying here for 5 years and they are a wealthy family. So in that sense they would match the criteria, she thinks the only obsticle would be this current problem, that why I thought about it in my girlfriends case, I mean I dont see any problems getting her a visa in normal circumstances, because of my support and her own family standing. Just really dont know too much about the SARS, only bits in the papers, but sound like a problem for far east countries, its only right that other countries protect themselves. We all know how businessmen travel. Anyway thanks for the reply. Lets hope its not as bad as the papers report and it is contained.

[lopburi3]

I really don't believe visas are being declined on the basis of SARS as this would be headline news worldwide. I know that huge numbers of students are heading back to GB for school and that it is up to the schools involved how they are treated. Some are being put into isolation for 10 days or so but no visas are being revoked AFAIK.

[Guest]

Here is the article from todays paper 24th April

 

 

A HEALTH expert yesterday warned that the SARS disease could eventually prove more devastating to the world than Aids.

 

If current trends continue, there could be a billion cases of SARS within 60 weeks, said Dr Patrick Dixon, who is considered Europe?s top futurist.

 

Dr Dixon, whose work involves predicting how diseases will develop on a global scale, said: ?It is worth remembering that Aids has infected 80 million people so far over a 15 to 20-year period.

 

?Aids spreads slowly so we can track it and plan for it. We have effective anti-viral drugs which can prolong life.

 

?But this is different, we don?t have the time. This is a far more serious epidemic potentially than Aids.?

 

Dr Dixon, a fellow at the Centre for Management Development at London Business School, was scathing about official incompetence in dealing with the crisis.

 

In some parts of the world, there had been ?a mixture of denial, confusion, delay, ignorance, bad decisions, poor data gathering, official decision-making paralysis, incompetence, concealment, secrecy and government apathy?, he said.

 

?If things continue as they are then a pandemic is surely only a matter of time.

 

?This is not a Yuppie disease contracted by air travellers. That is a pathetic reaction that will put the whole world at risk.?

 

Dr Dixon called for the outbreak to be addressed by world leaders rather than health officials, as a matter of urgency.

 

He said his main concern was not the number of infections in Beijing, but those in poor, disorganised rural areas around the world.

 

?China has draconian measures in place in a bid to contain the virus,? he said.

 

?But in a country like India, which is chaotic, with minimum health provision, the potential for spreading the virus is huge.

 

?Unless the virus spontaneously mutates into a less dangerous form, the only hope is to mount an immediate, aggressive global response at the highest level.?

 

[Guest]

My Thai girlfriend is supposed to be coming over with her mum to stay with me in September, she thinks all Visa's in asia are being declined because of the virus, is this true?

---

 

Most definitely not. However, are you aware of the criteria required for a Thai national to obtain a visitors visa to the UK? Generally, if the applicant cannot prove legitimate work, leave of absence from work, ownership of land, etc. a visitors visa is incredibly hard to come by. "No reason to return" is the common rubber stamped reason given for refusal.

 

Your girlfriend can blame SARS if she wishes, but you need to be aware of much more compelling requirements if she is to be granted a visa to the UK.

 

You may find more constructive help and advice than your parents can offer you here from others in the UK who have gone through the visa process already.

 

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Guest]

Hi Paul (maokaang). The visa issue dosnt really bother me, and my parents havent psoken to me about the visa, either way she will be here, if its through marriage in the future or visitors, I have read lots on visas. I feel confident enough in my status and hers to get one ans I know lots of people here who have through their advise and the embassy I will be fine.

 

Its the virus, that is the worry seriously, if you read my article from todays paper you will see this, Its a big concern for asia, and the SARS virus may stop people getting visas, might just be over the short term, because people dont know enough and are scared or the potential of it.

 

Arnt you?

 

In one way way It dosnt bother me, its when it comes home and it affects family or friends that you switch on.

 

I dont know enough to say this is what will happen. But I have heard it from my friend returning from china, my girlfriend has read it in papers in thailand and i have read some about it. So all Im saying is (What if its true).

[Guest]

Dr Patrick Dixon, who is considered Europe?s top futurist.

---

He isn't europes top futurist. (You will see it in 60 weeks :: )

?Aids spreads slowly so we can track it and plan for it. We have effective anti-viral drugs which can prolong life.

 

?But this is different, we don?t have the time. This is a far more serious epidemic potentially than Aids.?

---

This just shows that this top futurist doesn't understand anything! Exactly the slow spreading of AIDS makes it dangerous. The longer the patient is living, the more time the virus has to spread. If the symptoms break out after only some days as it is the case for SARS, it is very easy to track the spreading and also to isolate the people who have the virus.

And then contrary to AIDS, SARS can be healed, you don't even need a doctor or medicaments (remember the mortal rate is 5 %)

?Unless the virus spontaneously mutates into a less dangerous form

---

Here he contradicts himself: Why do most "dangerous" viruses which kill in days mutate to less dangerous forms? Actually it is only one virus who mutates and then by natural selection he will replace the more dangerous virus. What is the natural selection? A virus which kills fastly cannot spread because the carriers die too fast. So the mutants which don't kill or less fastly have an advantage.

 

And last but not least, it is easier to find a medicament or vaccination for this kind of virus.

 

I bet with you and Dr. Patrick Dixon that there will be a medicament for SARS much faster then for AIDS (I speak about healing, not prolonging life)

 

Best regards

 

 

[whosyourdaddy]

If the goverment ever said that they had SARS say good bye to the tourism industry this year. The goverment knows that if it says there is SARS it is going to screw the economy. So hence.... no sars yet.

[ranma500]

Sounds very much like the sort of story the Daily Mail would put out.

 

The entire aim of this newspaper is to convince you that the world is going to the dogs. Immigrants are taking over the country, white citizens are already a minority, lesbians are taking most of our tax money to fund art projects, and single mothers drain the rest of it away. Soon, as they said in Ghostbusters, civilisation will descend into chaos and dogs will be having sex with cats.

 

Of course there is always the odd piece of modern art which has sold for millions and invites ridicule because it's clearly a vomit-stain.

 

And of course, now we're all going to die of SARS.

 

This may not have come from the Daily Mail, but sadly there are very few papers in England which I believe give a reasonable representation of the truth.

 

ranma