The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday issued a an emergency travel advisory regarding the recent outbreaks of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Reports of outbreaks have been received from Canada, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“This syndrome, SARS, is now a worldwide health threat,” said Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of the World Health Organization. “The world needs to work together to find its cause, cure the sick, and stop its spread.”

But there is no need to panic, so far only 8 people are dead. It’s all under control. Just be aware of the SARS symptoms. If you’ve been visiting any of the countries mentioned above, particularly the ones in Asia, it’s recommended that you immediately see your doctor if you have the symptoms. Also, if you get any of the symptoms while traveling, don’t leave the country, you’ll only spread the disease.

Now, let’s think about this for a second and let’s, for the sake of the argument, say that SARS kills off 9/10 the Earth’s population. We see that same thing happening in other populations, for instance among rats. Normally, when the population reaches a certain number of individuals, there is not enough food to support them all, and many of them die. But on rare occasions there is an outbreak of some disease that kills off almost every rat. But a few survive and they, and their offspring, are immune to the disease the next time. It’s evolution, and it’s a efficient way of removing the not-so-fit individuals.

The same thing is bound to happen among humans now and then. But as opposed to rats, we are often able to limit the number of outbreak, either by isolating the infected people, or by coming up with some kind of cure. You might say that we are immune to evolution.

I’m not a scientist, I just think I read this somewhere, and I might be wrong.

And finally, remember that life is a game. Play.