Like the firemen of 9/11, the health workers, namely doctors and nurses who have to risk being infected by SARS in their daily job have been recognized as the heroes in this battle against the deadly bug.

So far a 27-year old doctor at the Tan Tock Seng Hospical in Singapore has died from SARS. He contracted it from treating a SARS infected patient during the early days of the outbreak. The patient was in hospital for non-SARS related illnesses but was unfortunate to contract it from being in the same ward with another SARS patient.

Paranoia over the disease is spreading even faster than the virus itself. There were even reports that nurses have been shunned by taxi drivers and neighbourhood residences. But the health community has so far been brave and steadfast in leading this struggle against the disease.

In times of difficulty, heroes are made. We are lucky to have them in our midst.