SARS-casm

So here's my question about SARS: It's Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, right? So why "severe" and "acute"? Isn't that pretty much the same thing?

My theory is that it was originally called Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and all the medical researchers had a little giggle when they referred to it amomgst themselves as ARS*.

Medical Researcher Guy #1: "Hey, that guy's got ARS."

Medical Researcher Guy #2: "Uh-huh-huh. Yeah. Hey, so have you. You've got ARS."

Medical Researcher Guy #1: "Uh-huh-huh. Uh-huh-huh. Yeah. Everybody's got ARS."

Medical Researcher Guy #2: "Uh-huh-huh. Uh-huh-huh. Yeah."

But then when it got popular, they had to add the "severe" bit.

Ya think?


* with sincerest apologies to the Atlanta Rhythm Section, makers of such mid-í70s glossy and melodic southern rock hits as "So Into You".