Another view on this strange "affliction that lays waste at mid-day."

Dr Patrick Dixon, one of Europe's experts on predicting global trends, said SARS could be more dangerous than AIDS because of its ability to spread quickly.
He said: "It is worth remembering that AIDS has infected 80 million people so far over 15 to 20 years.
"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 said his main concern was rural, isolated areas in China and around the world. He added: "In a country like India, which is chaotic with minimum health provision, the potential for spreading the virus is huge."

Dr Dixon, a fellow at the Centre for Management Development at London Business School, said if current trends continued, there could be a billion cases within 60 weeks.

What would be the implications for public life, education, the economy? I've heard first-hand stories of children and the vulnerable being sent away to the country during the flu pandemic of 1918-1919. Maybe we should re-read The Plague-- think on these things of life, fate, meaning and death-- and prepare ourselves.