I am going to close this thread and move the most recent and relevant SARS posts to a new thread.
This issue should not focus or reflect on Virgin.
There is some serious economic damage going down out there which affects us all.
One needs only see the footage of the Terminal in Hong Kong to realise that the airlines there are in deep trouble, and it is reflected most every where else.
It may or may not be "as bad" as the Spanish Flu but then people couldn't travel with it from one side of the world to another in less than 24hrs with it either.
The speed of transport then, weeks or months for most journeys, usually "flushed out" any problems en-route.
And then the Captain had to fly the appropriate flag if there was any sickness on board when entering harbour.
As a boy I can still remember the odd "quarantine" and there was a purpose built facility always available for that purpose.
We have become a little blase about the simple things that can kill people in large numbers.