SARS Epidemic 2002 to 2003
How Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in China Affected the World
Aug 16, 2009
The first recorded infection caused by SARS occurred on November 2002 in the town of Foshan located in Guangdong province, southern China. The virus quickly spread to other people in the town.
In order to avoid a panic situation, China did not make public reports of the unusually high number of respiratory aliments and fatalities in Guangdong province. By February 2003, there had been more than 300 cases of pneumonia.
In March 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of outbreaks in other countries such as Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam. With sporadic reports of a higher than normal incident of pneumonia in Guangdong, an investigation began on how this virus reached other countries.
How SARS Spread to Other Parts of the World
A doctor who worked at a hospital in Guangdong, where SARS patients were treated, attended a wedding in Hong Kong. Soon after his arrival, nine people who were staying on the same hotel floor, ended up in hospital with respiratory ailments. The doctor succumbed to the virus.
Not knowing this was a contagious virus, hospital employees in Hong Kong became ill. In turn, they spread the disease to hundreds of people who came into contact with them.
The other hotel guests in Hong Kong did not know they had come into contact with the virus and traveled on to other countries. One former hotel guest, a businessman, was admitted to hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam with pneumonia-like symptoms. As a result, over 20 hospital employees were infected.
Doctor Carlo Urbani, who worked as an epidemiologist from the World Health Organization in Vietnam, was asked to visit the businessman who had stayed at the hotel in Hong Kong. By this time, the man was hospitalized in Hanoi.
Dr. Urbani identified this new strain of virus as highly contagious and gave it the name Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Unfortunately, Dr. Urbani died on March 29, 2003 as a result of contracting SARS.
Canada was affected by the outbreak. A mother and her son, who moved to Toronto from Hong Kong, died from SARS and infected more than 100 people.
On March 13, 2003, the World Health Organization announced to the world that a new epidemic was spreading and advised people to take precautionary measures.
What Caused SARS
In a science feature on SARS produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, there were two virus strains identified by scientists. “A new virus from the Paramixoviridae family - known to cause mumps and measles, hailing from a sub-group known as a metapneumoviruses. Another isolated unknown virus, coronavirus, from the Coronaviridae family - known to cause the common cold and some intestinal ailments - which they believed was the real culprit.”
Not all of these strains of viruses infect humans. Some of them infect rodents, cattle, pigs, dogs, cats and birds and predominantly in chickens. It is believed that the two above-mentioned viruses and other factors, such as certain microorganisms may have been the cause of SARS.
Treatment of SARS
Although antibiotics were not effective in treating the virus, patients were given them in order to reduce infection in the respiratory tract. An anti-virus drug was used to minimize the progression of SARS. Medication was given to reduce fever and lung inflammation. These treatments were experimental and not totally effective.
Patients were put in isolation rooms in hospitals and given additional oxygen or were hooked up to ventilators. Hospital staff had to take extreme measures when coming in contact with patients.
Worldwide Reaction to SARS
- People who contracted SARS were quarantined in their homes or hospitals.
- Stores and factories were closed down if an employee was infected.
- Schools in Singapore and Hong Kong were closed for several weeks.
- Airline passengers were screened for SARS and flights to/from some of the affected countries were cancelled.
- Many conferences and conventions were cancelled in Toronto.
- Residents in cities with large outbreaks were warned to not take public transportation or avoid public places.
- The FIFA Women’s World Cup was moved to the U.S. from China.
- The International Ice Hockey Federation cancelled their Women’s World Championship tournament that was scheduled for Beijing.
Cases of SARS and Death Toll
In a report published by the World Health Organization, a summary of SARS cases was issued for the period covering November 1, 2002 to July 31, 2003. This excerpt includes only the countries where fatalities occurred.
- "Canada: 251 cases and 43 deaths
- China: 5327 cases and 349 deaths
- Hong Kong: 1755 cases and 299 deaths
- Taiwan: 346 cases and 37 deaths
- France: 7 cases and 1 death
- Malaysia: 5 cases and 2 deaths
- Philippines: 14 cases and 2 deaths
- Singapore: 238 cases and 33 deaths
- South Africa: 1 case and 1 death
- Thailand: 9 cases and 2 deaths
- Vietnam: 63 cases and 5 deaths
Total SARS deaths = 744
Total SARS cases in the world = 8096”
Although SARS has not been eradicated, the World Health Organization has declared all countries to be free of SARS. The virus still lives in certain animals and there is a chance that it could re-infect the human population.
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