A college professor, John Haaga, believes he has the answer to the SARS virus.

Professor Haaga has designed a 100% silk neck tie which contains medical filtration fabric that can filter out all sorts of things from the air. And don’t worry ladies there are scarves for you too.

Most ironic is that the scarves are manufactured in Guangdong, China, which happens to be the epicenter of the SARS outbreak. Haaga says that he plans to move manufacturing to the US. Sales of the ties and scarves have risen to about 50 a day on the manufacturer’s web site because of the outbreak of SARS.

Tourists to Southeast Asia may have bought the ties even before the SARS outbreak, to protect themselves against the pungent scent of the durian fruit.

While I am not a medical expert and do not dare challenge the benefits of this tie, I do not feel this tie is fashionable. The professor will have to lower his prices and incorporate some “Hello Kitty” designs if he plans to break into the Asian markets!

The manufacturer’s web site can be found at www.fbsclothing.com.