The Change Mariner

Isolation, an Old Medical Tool, Has SARS Fading

New York Times:

Three months ago, SARS appeared poised to sweep the world, a mysterious new disease racing out of southern for which there was no vaccine, cure or diagnostic test.

Today, SARS is disappearing almost as fast, and almost as unpredictably, as it arrived. This week, the World Health Organization declared it under control, with only a handful of cases worldwide in the last week.

The agency's only remaining advisory against travel — to Beijing — is expected to be lifted in a few days. Hong Kong, the city with more cases and deaths relative to its population than anywhere else, has had no new cases since June 2.