Should we cancel becuase of SARS??

[froggyq]

Hello Everyone,

We were planning to leave on April 25th for our trip to Disney.
But there is now the SARS outbreak. Is anyone worried about the risks of getting it?? Or that the chances of getting it are greater considering that other countries come to Disney especially people from Cananda which is the worst country in cases besides the far east? My hubby and I are thinking of backing out even though it might be a disappiontment for the kids it is better then getiing infected I think.
Does anyone have any other opinions or concerns on this subject?? If So PLEASE reply. My hubby and I would be grateful for some other peoples views.


Thanks!!!

 

[Puffy2]

I border on obsessive compulsive and even I wouldn't cancel a trip to Disney in Orlando, Fl because of SARs (Asia perhaps but not Fl.)

Your chances of picking it up there are practically nill.

If it will make you feel better - take some lysol antibacteria wipes or other disinfectant, and wipe down your hotel room when you arrive (toilet seats, sink handles, door handles, etc... )- otherwise forget it and go and have fun.

 

[phorsenuf]

Personally, the way I look at it is anything can happen anytime, anywhere. I would think the chances of catching it are slim. Yes, in the far east the incident level is high, but if you compare how many people have it and those who have died from it, compared to the overall population in the same area, I bet the odds are pretty slim. Perhaps Becka, our resident statistician could figure that out for us.
Heck, you could get measles, strep, whooping cough or even a cold. Can they kill you? Not likely, but in some cases if severe enough they can. SARS is not killing everyone it infects.
I am leaving the same day you are, the 25th. Am I worried, nope, not one bit! The way I see it, you can't live in fear of "what ifs".
Go, have fun, don't give it another thought!
Remember too to wear your ribbon, maybe we'll see each other. BTW, where are you staying??
I'm going to be at AllStars Music.

 

[grinningghost]

Go - don't worry about it - the chances of getting SARS are virtually non-existent if you look at the overall number of cases vs. population. Have a great time!

 

[froggyq]

We will be staying with family in Orlando if we do go. We go usually go twice a year except the last two years because our oldest son is in school.
My husband just got back from overseas last month but the thought of SARS and how infectious it is scares me. And the news saying that "Disney is a GATEWAY for the disease" doesn't help. I noticed the post with the flu and strep throat. And I am just getting over having a severe case of strep throat from eating out after Sesame Street Live last weekend. I had to deal with 103 fever and a puss riddin throat for a week before the antibiotics started working. My Doctor said I had bad luck. So this is the other reason I always tend to get sick when exposed to a chance to get something like a cold,flu,ect.

But thank you for your comments I will weight out your thoughts and ours and come to a decision.

Thanks Everyone!!!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

UGH! Your strep sounds like it was just AWFUL!

I'm a firm believer in good hand washing practices!!! If you give your hands a thorough washing frequently (but not obessively ) you should be just fine! We pack Wet-Ones antibacterial wipes in our back-packs for quick clean-ups in the parks. I know others use baby wipes, but I prefer the anti-bacterial. I don't know if it REALLY makes a difference, except that I feel better about it!

 

[dalefo99]

More people died from the Flu last year than SARS.

Remember the West Nile scare from last year? Or the Limes Disease scare from a few years ago?

Well, mosquitoes are still carrying West Nile. And ticks still carry Lime's Disease. The SARS story is so big because the Chinese Press was prohibited from reporting on it by the government. Go and enjoy yourself!

My family and I are making our first trip to WDW also on the 26th! I guess if we are all going to get a deadly disease, we can all get it together!

 

[Simba's Mom]

DH was supposed to go to China on a business trip this month. Although it just got cancelled (company's concerns re SARS), we've been reading the daily reports on the CDC and WHO websites, even before hardly anyone else knew of it, and "only" 13 people had died. It has a 4% mortality rate and although if you know anyone in that 4%, it's small comfort, that's no worse than flu. Be vigilant about washing your hands, keep healthy (remember 96% of people are strong enough to fight it off), go, and have fun!

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by froggyq
And the news saying that "Disney is a GATEWAY for the disease" doesn't help.

Remember, the news will sensationalize stories (especially soundbites) to lure viewers away from other stations. Sometimes I think the media WANTS to put the nails in the coffin of the tourism industry. ANY international airport is a "gateway" for disease, any contagious disease.

Overall, there are 3000 to 4000 folks infected WORLDWIDE out of a population of BILLIONS. Take normal sanitary precautions of hand washing, hand wipes and/or alcohol gels. Don't rub your eyes or nose without cleansing your hands first. Wash well before meals.

My trip is still booked for June.

 

[Trish5768]

NO WAY!!! Go and have fun-

 

[mcnuss]

It has a 4% mortality rate and although if you know anyone in that 4%, it's small comfort, that's no worse than flu

Actually, that's much better than the flu. In the US alone, approx. 36,000 people die from influenza every year.

 

[Divamomto3]

I'm a nurse...
Don't think twice about it!! I haven't even given it one thought.
Have a great time!

 

[CarolA]

Last week there were 154 cases of SARS in the US and over 290,000,000 people . Odds look pretty slim that you will meet one of the 154.

 

[kilee]

I am going to get it for this one I know... but DH refuses to get on a plane right now because of SARS. We have driven from NY to Florida twice in the last year to go to Disney. I am not driving again. Therefore, we had plans to make a last minute trip next week. The day I was going to buy the airline tickets last week, dh says no. He said we would have to drive. We are now going to the Smokey Mountains- only 1/2 the drive time. I guess it's about time we took a "relaxing" vacation anyhow. We are headed back to Disney 10/30.
He works as a paramedic, so he is at a higher risk for being exposed so his paranoia really makes no sense. After having a SARS planning meeting, he decided we weren't flying. I have really bad asthma and he said he is only protecting me. To tell the truth, he hates flying, so I really think this was just a ploy to get out of flying. To add to our "risk" level, we are only 90 minutes from Toronto. We have just as much risk at home as we do in Orlando. But, we are one of the very few who cancelled because of it.

 

[wld]

We are not cancelling because of SARS. Do you not get in your car and drive everyday? Because your risk of dying in an accident is much higher. We Americans seem to love to freak out about things. West Nile and Lyme are two recent that have been mentioned.
Please look at the cdc website at cdc.gov. They have a wealth of information about SARS. Media reports sell sensationalism. Nobody dying in the US of SARS is not big news. Only 1 person (already respiratory compromised) has been placed on a vent in the US. Also not big news. As of April 10th only 1 case of probable secondary transmission in the US. Again not big news. Life is too short to worry about something with a big likelyhood of not happening.

 

[eeyore0062]

Think of everything that you could be exposed to just going to the grocery store.

I am also a nurse, and I am not at all worried about SARS.

As for the media:

Remember, the news will sensationalize stories (especially soundbites) to lure viewers away from other stations. Sometimes I think the media WANTS to put the nails in the coffin of the tourism industry. ANY international airport is a "gateway" for disease, any contagious disease.

This is VERY true!
The media is NOT our friend. They take advantage of just about everything in order to get ratings. Disney a "gateway for SARS", not likely! No more so than anything else, and no one gives a 2nd thought to the person coughing next to them possibly having TB or anything else contagious.

Just like the thought of terrorism, we cannot let fear rule our lives, or we wouldn't really be living. We cannot hide in our houses because we "might" catch something, or someone "might" blow something up. We have to go on with our lives, and not teach our children of being fearful or paranoid of every little thing. Speaking of terrorism, journalism tactics like the quote you heard are a form of terrorism in their own right.

Take precautions, use common sense, but there is no need at all in cancelling your trip. Go and have a great time!!!!

 

[nicknamy1996]

I say buy a lottery ticket. Judging by the numbers so far in this thred 154 people in the U.S. have been infected, 4% are fatal, and 290 million people live here.

That sound like about 1 in 46 million odds of dying from SARS. I'm sure you have better odd of hitting a multi-million dollar lottery(and that would be a lot more fun too.) I don't know for sure but I'm willing to bet the odd of getting killed by a wild bear, or spider bite or car crash or plane crash or.... Oh, I guess I should stop before I start another scare.... I don't want to go to WDW because I might get struck by lightning.

Don't get me wrong, with my luck I'd be the 1 in 46 mil. but I can't let that affect the way I live, and I don't think anyone should.

 

[Kayeil]

Froggyq, I feel your fears. The same thoughts have crossed my mind. I've talked about it with friends and they look at me like I'm nuts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I have a daughter with a heart defect, which puts her in a high risk category. We are scheduled to travel to WDW by air the end of May. I was originally concerned about the war - now it is SARS. We are still planning to go - we'll just see how things are within a month. I did purchase the travel insurance and can recoup some of the expenses for "change of mind." I'm just hoping that this virus will be under better control by then. Good luck with your decision. Whatever you chose, it will be the right one for you because you made it.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I agree with those who have said that the media does love to sensationalize these Sars related deaths.......they just love to frighten the American public.... probably the reason I only watch one TV station for the news and limit my newspaper reading to unbiased reporting..

At any rate, I would go, but this is definitely your decision...you cannot spend your time worrying and not enjoying while you are there.. We do use hand sanitizers in WDW....just trying to do the best we can, especially after riding and before eating...just good hygiene.

 

[mcnuss]

Kayeil -- If it makes you feel any better, it is my understanding that none of the people who have it in the US caught it from domestic travel on an airplane. They all had some link to someone who had been in Asia or who had cared for someone with SARS. Same in Canada, in fact there most of the cases have been traced back to 2 people who had traveled to Asia and were treated in an ER or an ICU before anyone knew about SARS.