SARS: We Didn't Start The Virus

Masked BWG During the SARS outbreak, I penned a song that encapsulated the chain of events.

Okay, I cheated. I used a template—We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel—the list that is a song. I covered the original lyrics; though not 100% spot-on, it works.

Sing it to the original tune.

We Didn't Start The Virus by BW Goel

Brand new virus, mystery, what it is, wait and see
Southern China, Guangdong Province, people falling ill
Chinese doctor, was infected, didn't know it, undetected
Came to Hong Kong, spread it in the Metropole Hotel

From the lift, ten guests, headed east, headed west
By plane, a huge mistake, and the cause of fresh outbreaks
Amoy Gardens, Block E, Kowloon's got the disease
Three hospitals now affected, epidemic headache

CHORUS
We didn't start the virus
It was brought here by a
Man from Southern China
We didn't start the virus
No we didn't sight it
But we tried to fight it

Hospital in Vietnam, Hanoi's in a great big jam
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome called SARS
Woman, Singapore, super-spreader, cared for
Twenty more fall ill with it so far

Out west, she stole, woman from the Metropole
To the city, Toronto, where she spread it, on the go
Beijing, telling lies, in denial, despised
Cover up, bottle up, trouble in the WHO's eyes

CHORUS

Italy, Philppines, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany
Sweden, New Zealand, in tiny Switzerland
France, Macau, Brazil, Spain, Indonesia, Kuwait
Canada and Poland, Republic of Ireland

Uh uh oh

Inner Mongolia, and in South Africa
Even Down Under into Australia
US, CDC, new travel advisory
Romania, U.K., Malaysia stay away

CHORUS

Hospital, treatment, journalists, news event
Sneezing, wheezing, media appeasing
Vaccine, hype, opinion poll, Center for Disease Control
Wear masks, wash hands, cleaning up common land
Contact quarantine, public disinfection scheme
ICU, ward review, what else do we have to do

CHORUS

Prince of Wales Hospital, pneumonia atypical
Mutate, can't wait, intubate, too late
Doctors, nurses, orderlies, heroes on the TV
Coughing droplets spreads the bug, patients get the latest drugs

Ribavirin, steroid mix, heavy doses, ton of bricks
Fever sprung, damaged lungs, breathe, cough, phlegm is flung
Economy's on the floor, Hong Kong's full of empty stores
Hysterical folks galore, I can't take it anymore

CHORUS

We didn't start the virus
But when we are gone
Will it still spread on, and on, and on, and on...