I am sure everyone has been made aware of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), a disease that has caused the death of about 75 people in several countries around the world, mostly in Asia.

The disease has been linked to unstable farming practices in China. The Chinese government has been accused of not informing everyone about the seriousness of SARS even though they had knowledge 2 months prior before it spread to Hong Kong.

As panic spread, the merchants of Hong Kong identified a new market need. Fashionable surgical face masks to the rescue! I am unsure of the effectiveness of wearing one, but I speculate that there will be more similar merchandise available soon. Maybe “Winnie The Pooh” gas masks or “Hello Kitty” nurses uniforms.