SARS a virus, not a bacteria; face masks may help prevent it

I would just like to correct comments about SARS made in a letter in the Friday Wildcat. The letter stated that facemasks would not work for preventing SARS because the bacteria was 3 microns in size. SARS is not caused by a bacterium. It is caused by a virus (a coronavirus) that is actually much smaller than 3 microns and would not even be visible with a light microscope.

However, the question of whether the facemask will help prevent acquisition of the infection depends on how much of the transmission occurs via respiratory droplets, which might well be stopped by the mask. There is no reason to believe the masks will be 100 percent effective in preventing infection, but they might decrease the risk.

Rod Adam, M.D.
associate professor department of microbiology/immunology and medicine

Hall column dead on about traffic problems near campus

Caitlin Hall's commentary on Thursday hit the nail right on the head. I ride my bike to campus every day from the Fort Lowell and Mountain area. I often ride my bike to places of interest around the campus area as well. Almost every street that encompasses campus is incredibly dangerous for bicyclists as well as pedestrians. But I am going to leave it up to someone else to comment on pedestrians dodging cars. I wish to address the hazards that face someone who wishes to ride their bike to school.

To most people, UA is probably thought of as the square piece of property enclosed by Euclid, Sixth Street, Campbell and Speedway. Yet not one of these roads has a bike lane that goes entirely from one corner to the other. Euclid and Sixth Street do not even have a bike lane on any part of them. Speedway has one from Campbell to Park, where it abruptly ends. Campbell has one southbound from Third Street to Sixth Street and one northbound that runs from Sixth and ends about 100 yards from the Speedway intersection. How is it that out of the four main roads that surround a campus full of bicyclists in a bike-friendly city, not one has a complete bike lane and half of them have nothing? Mountain is probably the only bike-friendly road anywhere near campus. I believe it is time for the university and Tucson to stop catering so heavily to vehicular traffic around UA and start worrying about pedestrians and bicyclists. The university never hesitates to build a parking garage here, a new parking lot there. Like Ms. Hall, I propose a solution to traffic problems and parking issues on campus. How about the university requires proof of disability or of living outside a certain radius from campus in order to purchase a parking pass? This would help out parking issues if people that live, oh, within a mile of campus can no longer drive. Of course, there needs to be a safe way to get to campus on bike for this to work. If the university and city spent as much money, time and attention toward bikes and pedestrian traffic as it did vehicular, the campus would be a much safer place for everyone.

Justin Orkney
mechanical engineering junior

CIGNA Îscrewing' UA workers; insurance choice should exist

I've spoken to many UA staff members and they all agree Peter Likins and CIGNA are running a monopoly and dictatorship. All we are asking for is a choice, just that simple. Saddam is alive in Administration, Room 712.

In the last 60 days alone, my wife has been denied coverage of five medications after major surgery that was covered the previous month. And along with that, we have been stuck with an $11,000 dollar hospital bill that CIGNA has been tediously denying coverage. They lied and reneged on payments of insurance. Remember that the state has paid CIGNA over $240 million dollars for our healthcare, including the deductions from our paychecks. For the people who haven't used your health insurance yet, don't wait until it's too late. Most of you will need it in the future, and Likins and CIGNA will screw you too. They are constantly denying claims. You can contact me for the horror stories from UA employees alone that has been documented and submitted to everyone up to the governor.

We are fighting.

Dennis M. Haymore
office specialist, graduate admissions