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POTUS
Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Posts: 22
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 Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 7:26 pm Post subject: SARS is beginning to take its toll |
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I think if the SARS epidemic doesn't slow down within the next 2 weeks we will be in trouble.
POTUS  |
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Hamish
Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 333
Location: PRC
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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How bad is it possible to get?
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| The mortality rate will be a key factor in determining the eventual toll from SARS, the first new disease to emerge in decades that can be spread directly from one person to another. Even at the lowest estimates, the SARS death rate would be significantly higher than that of many other respiratory illnesses. The devastating Spanish flu of 1918-19, for example, had an estimated death rate of less than 3 percent, but it killed perhaps 50 million people because it spread so widely. SARS does not appear to spread as quickly, but it still poses a severe threat. |
According to The Washington Post yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A22521-2003May6?language=printer
Regards, |
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Egas
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 1:13 am Post subject: |
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The key is that while SARS is highly virulent, it is not highly infectious. With the possible exception of the Amoy Gardens case in HK, the virus is transmitted via direct contact with the carrier. It is not airborne. That's why we have thousands of cases, not millions so far. SARS is not increasing even at an arithmetic rate. (ie 2,4,16...) It has plateaud (however you spell it  ) just about everywhere except for China. But China is much bigger than the other infected areas. While it is a dangerous and significant problem, it is not the end of the world by any means. |
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chinasyndrome
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
Posts: 673
Location: In the clutches of the Red Dragon. Erm...China
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 4:20 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Egas"]
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| It has plateaud (however you spell it ) |
Egas! You just threw that in to drive me nuts! Just checked every dictionary in the joint and cannot find any reference to that damned 'p' word in the context you've used it. 
So, in the interests of thoroughness I used the spellchecker with every derivative (U.S., U.K., Aust, Can, etc) and got a red line in all of them. I even put an apostrophe in to see if that worked. Nada. So I'm still nadad (?). Look THAT one up in your Funk and Wagnall's! 
Then, I did a whiparound of the guys here. We're all agreeing that it sounds right but no one knows whether it's 'd' or 'ed'. You can easily modify the sentence and retain the full meaning, but that's hardly the point and is definitely not the answer!
Okay, plateau is a French word (so I'm told - at the very least it's from a European language), so maybe there is no straight connection to English grammar.
This is the stuff sleepless nights are made of  ...and I think you did it deliberately.
Where's Jim Bishop when you need him? Or anyone who KNOWS CONCLUSIVELY! Or even Egas, who started the whole thing in the first place and should bear at least passing responsibility for it?
My efforts have plateaud and I still have nada. |
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Hamish
Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 333
Location: PRC
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 4:26 am Post subject: |
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intr.v. pla�teaued, pla�teau�ing, pla�teaus
To reach a stable level; level off: �The tension seemed to grow by degrees, then it plateaued� (Tom Clancy)
Regards, |
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Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Plateau, plural plateaux, also verb (though I have never seen it used as such); a fairly level ground, thus plateau, v., an action that levels off.
I would add an -ed for the past tense and participle forms.
Anyway the plateau anxiety is far more attractive than the SARS anxiety! |
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HappyTown
Joined: 13 Apr 2003
Posts: 14
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| My IELTS writing task one textbook advises 'reached a plateau'. |
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chinasyndrome
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
Posts: 673
Location: In the clutches of the Red Dragon. Erm...China
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 7:13 am Post subject: |
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Jim and Roger, thanks! I'll sleep better all day - oops - night now.
Egas, I still think you did it deliberately and I'm planning on hunting up a few words for your benefit.  Watch out for any antidisestablishmentarianism.
Thanks, guys. Stay safe and well. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 10:58 am Post subject: sars |
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| Maybe if SARS scares off the newbies then foreign teachers' salaries will go up ? |
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hubei_canuk
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Posts: 240
Location: hubei china
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 2:30 pm Post subject: pessimistic pestilence |
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Potatoed Pestilence!!!
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I think platinum plateglass might be more valuable.
Or perhaps the social habits of platonic platypuses more interesting.
I like this!.
Lets call it plastic pattycake and get together and do it again.
---------------
Headline: Partygoers plateau pestilence!!! |
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Owen
Joined: 27 Apr 2003
Posts: 43
Location: Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 2:53 am Post subject: |
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| It is a noun, fellows. (And from Old French) Hence "reached a plateau" would be the proper usage. English, however, is a very fluid language so if enough people start using it as a verb, a new form is born. It is not Chinese or German where a government defines what is correct. Having a widely read author like Tom Clancy use it as a verb could be the trick! |
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hubei_canuk
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Posts: 240
Location: hubei china
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 5:43 am Post subject: |
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Owen: Better off to start using a dictionary than imagining using one
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pla�teau
n. pl. pla�teaus or pla�teaux (-tz)
An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land; a tableland.
A relatively stable level, period, or state: Mortgage rates declined, then reached a plateau.
intr.v. pla�teaued, pla�teau�ing, pla�teaus
To reach a stable level; level off: �The tension seemed to grow by degrees, then it plateaued� (Tom Clancy).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[French, from Old French platel, platter, from plat, flat. See plate.] |
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chastenosferatu
Joined: 03 May 2003
Posts: 50
Location: Anshan, China (USA)
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 5:53 am Post subject: Ouch |
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| And with that uppercut the scrappy Canadian sends the gangly American back into the corner folks... that had to hurt. |
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Owen
Joined: 27 Apr 2003
Posts: 43
Location: Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 10:40 am Post subject: |
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| Actually, I did use a dictionary. Admitably the American Heritage and an old copy, old enough to pre-date Clancy. Just checked again and it does not list the verb form. Guess I should have done the on-line check of Websters as it does list the intransitive verb and dates it as 1939 |
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Hamish
Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 333
Location: PRC
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| Owen wrote: |
| Actually, I did use a dictionary. |
His attitude was unwarrented. And HE didn't credit ME with finding the definition LONG before he did! (see above)
Never let 'em see you sweat.
Regards, |
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