From SARS to COVID-19: A personal journey

Spring 2003, preparing to return from Scotland to Beijing a little known virus, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), was reportedly spreading across parts of the world, including China. On April 23, the WHO advised against travel to Beijing, putting my travels on hold! Incredibly by May 23, such advisories began to be lifted, initially for Hong Kong and Guangdong.

By June 24, Beijing was also in the clear. I was back, discovering everyone OK. Warm skies added to a feeling of peace, of calm. Long conversations ensued about how the contagion was controlled so quickly. “Testing, identifying, isolation,” were the answers. While some neighborhoods were locked down, an isolation hospital was quickly erected in suburban Xiaotangshan. By mid-summer SARS was rarely mentioned.

This year, 2020, I chatted about what was learned from 2003, how the response would play out, what timeline would roughly be expected. I assumed mid- to late April, sadly not foreseeing what would happen globally.

Comparing how both viruses were tackled, there are fundamental differences. SARS emerged after the Spring Festival. COVID-19 became significant immediately before the week long holiday. People were traveling much more extensively. High-speed rail and widespread use of aviation increased the potential for greater geographical spread and faster rates of transmission.