With SARS Here To Stay, Here Are Three Possible Plays
Today, Tommy Thompson,
the US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services,
warned that SARS is likely to reappear and cause more deaths next year,
including in Europe and the United States. He said, “Even though it may level off
now, it could come back in the fall and then I think you can anticipate that you
will have deaths on all the continents…The virus knows no borders.” Although
more than 7,800 people (globally) have been infected and 662 have died from SARS
thus far, more people actually die as a result of the flu each year. But the
general public’s perception of the danger from SARS has, nonetheless, been much
worse than the actual risk. As a result, economies in Asia have been devastated,
as consumers have been avoiding public areas including restaurants, shopping
centers, entertainment venues and travel.
In an effort to avoid the kind of economic
disaster that has afflicted parts of Asian, western governments, including the
US, will undoubtedly adopt certain measures in the months ahead in order to
educate the general population about the disease. Although most of the campaign
will be focused on minimizing public anxiety about the virus, preventative
measures will also be addressed — specifically, hygiene. In fact, the World
Health Organization has already been encouraging governments in Asia to educate
their constituents about the importance of maintaining good environmental and
personal hygiene in preventing the spread of the disease.
Given the increased likelihood that SARS
infections and deaths will increase in the future, we can therefore expect the
broader population in the west to adopt more hygienic habits — primarily for
peace of mind, as we’ve already established that fears associated with the
disease. This could potentially have a positive affect on companies that
produce personal and environmental products, as demand for their products would
increase should such a scenario unfold. Some of the companies that come to mind
are Kimberly-Clarke Corp.
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Gamble
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