Posted on: Friday, April 4, 2003

Hawai'i must develop response to SARS

Maybe it's the altitude or the dry, recycled air, but airplane passengers have a tendency every now and then to cough.

And that's causing alarm on some flights because airlines are understandably worried about the spread of the mystery flu known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Confusion broke out Tuesday on an American Airlines flight from Tokyo to San Jose when the captain suspected five passengers might have the disease. The airplane was detained on the tarmac at San Jose until the five passengers — none of whom complained of fever or other SARS symptoms — had been cleared by physicians.

While it's better to be safe than sorry, it's also possible to overreact. We cannot have all airline passengers holding their breaths for fear that they'll be carted off for a SARS evaluation.

Thankfully, the federal Centers for Disease Control are helping to develop guidelines for passengers who show symptoms of SARS.

It is particularly important for Hawai'i to develop a sensible response to passengers suspected of carrying the disease, given the large number of flights here from Asia.