SARS in China: Prelude to Pandemic?

by James L. Watson, Arthur Kleinman (Editor)

The SARS epidemic of 2003 was one of the most serious public health crises of our times. The event, which lasted only a few months, is best seen as a warning shot, a wake-up call for public health professionals, security officials, economic planners, and policy makers everywhere. SARS in China addresses the structure and impact of the epidemic and its short and medium range implications for an interconnected, globalized world. Warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made it clear that SARS may have been a prelude to bigger things. The authors of this volume focus on specific aspects of the SARS outbreak―epidemiological, political, economic, social, cultural, and moral. They analyze SARS as a form of social suffering and raise questions about the relevance of national sovereignty in the face of such global threats. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that SARS had the potential of becoming a major turning point in human history. This book forces us to ask what we have learned from SARS as we go on to face newer, and farther-reaching pandemics. The current case of the COVID-19 outbreak amplifies the urgency of this question, and illuminates the strengths and shortcomings of different national responses to such pandemics. Erik Eckholm Joan Kaufman Arthur Kleinman Dominic Lee Sing Lee Megan Murray Thomas G. Rawski Tony Saich Alan Schnur James L. Watson Hong Zhang Yun Kwok Wing

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2005

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains essays that details various aspects of the SARS epidemic that occurred in China and spread to Canada back in 2002. It presents the Chinese government's approaches to addressing the disease, the population's response to the epidemic, health methods for preventing further spread as well as for treatment, social stigma around those infected or associated with someone infected, and the overall repercussions of the disease on the country and perceptions of the country. There is a lot of information to be found that is delivered in very concentrated passages, with information that does tend to overlap repeatedly, while still adding in new elements not yet discussed. This book provided me with a lot of insight on an issue I didn't even know happened because I was a young child in America when it happened. I remember more broadcasts about 9/11 and my own daily life than other global events outside of 9/11 at that time since I was only in about 3rd grade. It is interesting to see the way that a disease can have so many effects on a population. I would recommend it to people interested in global issues and particularly medical/health care issues. It is a very informative book that doesn't get too bogged down with specialized jargon like some textbooks and informative books tend to.