Chapter 5, page 8. The economic impact of the SARS outbreak has been considerable and illustrates the importance that a severe new disease can assume in a closely interdependent and highly mobile world. Apart from the direct costs of intensive medical care and control interventions, SARS caused widespread social disruption and economic losses. Schools, hospitals, and some borders were closed and thousands of people were placed in quarantine. International travel to affected areas fell sharply by 50–70%. Hotel occupancy dropped by more than 60%. Businesses, particularly in tourism-related areas, failed, while some large production facilities were forced to suspend operations when cases appeared among workers.

SARS is a severe respiratory disease that was first recognized in human beings in 2003. SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS begins with a high fever followed by such symptoms as a cough and difficulty breathing. Some cases progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure. More than 6 percent of those who develop SARS die.

The day-by-day struggle to control the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) represents a major victory for public health collaboration. Key lessons emerge that will be invaluable in shaping the future of infectious disease control -- and being ready for the day when the next new disease arrives without warning.

SARS was first recognised as a potentially serious worldwide health problem in February 2003. Between November 2002 and July 2003, more than 8,000 probable SARS cases (774 of them fatal) were reported from 29 countries, with most cases in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Canada.