Yeah, I know, that was over-stating things.

However, as I understand it, coronavirus, the most likely agent for SARS ,is very similar to the common cold virus, and it is pretty contagious - a fair number of cases were contracted by people just travelling on the same plane as a victim.

["The fact that many are improving both here and internationally suggests that many will be able to survive this illness if they have good medical care," she said.] Hmmm... how many people in the world have that access?

And the mortality rate of the "Spanish Flu"of 1918-19 was "only" 2.5%, but it killed 18 million people. (2.5% mortality was referred to as "profound virulence"). Also, the flu pandemic lasted over a year. If SARS increases by 10 fold every week or so... 1300 times only five weeks = 1.3 billion people. (I know, overstating things again, but you get my point I hope)

BTW, my wife's uncle almost died of the 1918 flu as a boy, the doctors had told his parents there was no hope and that he would die in the night. A old Chinese "doctor" visited, did something alone with the boy, and he was up and around next morning - he lived to 80 something.