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Martian virus identified by HK researchers

11
Wiley WigginsPerson was signed in when posted
03-20-2003
12:07 AM ET (US)
Whoops, 11 cases in the US now, according to cdc.gov. Luckily nobody seems to be dying any more.
10
Wiley WigginsPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
08:24 AM ET (US)
Jeez, nine people die and everyone thinks it's the end of the world. You're all just jittery. **ripping up will I was writing due to week long cough and sore throat, going to the doctor like a normal person**
9
lyagushkaPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
04:12 AM ET (US)
That's a relief. I've had pneumonia twice as a healthy young adult with no known immune system problems. Seems there are weird lung weaknesses in my genetic background. Believe me, pneumonia really sucks. And the pneumovax vaccine only innoculates against pneumococcus, which is just one of over 200 pathogens that can cause pneumonia. Knowing that the virus has at least been identified gives me some small measure of reassurance.
8
Young FreudPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
01:54 AM ET (US)
I was thinking more along the lines of the Book of Revelations and the Four Horsemen, you know, War and Pestilence, with Famine and Death soon to follow. Shame, I'm not even that big of a religious person and I still thought that.

Luckily, it just took a month or so to identify the bug. Too late for those ten who already died, but it's good news for those who are infected and treating this disease.

Unfortunately, it looks like five more countries have cases- England, Israel, France, Slovenia, and Australia.
7
David MercerPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
01:41 AM ET (US)
Yes, I thought of 12 Monkeys too when I saw the sequence of headlines unfold on google news.
6
CraniacPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
12:37 AM ET (US)
This so reminded me of 12 Monkeys.
5
kisraelPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
12:26 AM ET (US)
yeah, actually the meteorites I was thinking of were the ones they thought were originally from Mars...
4
MothrafuggerPerson was signed in when posted
03-19-2003
12:15 AM ET (US)
Or for when we actually find life that came from Mars. I mean, some of us SF readers have been hoping for life on other planets since we were wee bairns. Even if it's only a virus.
3
kisraelPerson was signed in when posted
03-18-2003
11:42 PM ET (US)
Uh, that's kind of dumb and very misleading.

"alien" virus, *maybe*...but maybe not.

"foreign"? "new"? any of these are better descriptors.

And obviously not completely unidentifiable...

Seriously, save the "martian" for when it turns out those little microbes on the meteorites turn out to be Andromena Strain-esque, or when we bring a probe back home and it carries something nasty.
2
Cory DoctorowPerson was signed in when posted
03-18-2003
11:02 PM ET (US)
Martian == scary, foreign, unidentifiable.
1
Rusty BrooksPerson was signed in when posted
03-18-2003
10:54 PM ET (US)
I don't get it. How is this virus martian? Am I missing something?
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