SARS

1 Mar 2013

The government is planning a new citywide clean-up campaign, similar to the 2003 Team Clean initiative launched after the Sars pandemic a decade ago, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor...

Letters to the Editor, March 1, 2013

1 Mar 2013

I read with shock the news that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hong Kong is axing the HK$500 a month it currently pays out to refugees. How can this be? Is the UNHCR broke?...

'While I battled Sars, Dad died in ward above'

25 Feb 2013

For Dr Yeung Koon-sing, battling his Sars infection in 2003 was like taking a "roller-coaster ride". Not only did he have to go through the physical ordeal of having the virus, but his father died...

Doctors confident Hong Kong is prepared if Sars strikes again

25 Feb 2013

Medical experts pointed to the greater number of respiratory specialists and isolation wards, and the better understanding of how the disease spreads and thrives.

Early quarantine best way to avert Sars-like outbreak: health chief

23 Feb 2013

It was a dreaded scene from years ago: people clad in full protective gear entering and exiting a quarantined hotel in a city caught in the grip of a fatal virus. That scene, which emerged in 2003...

Opinion

Wang Xiangwei

Super ministries may not be the right answer for mainland China

Alex Lo

Church developers remain unbowed by government rules

George Chen

A house is not a home until it becomes affordable

'Medics' worst fear was spreading Sars to our families'

Health secretary Dr Ko Wing-man said he never thought being a doctor would involve the risk of getting killed one day by an infection he contracted at work. Speaking about his feelings during the...

China has efficient systems in place to tackle infectious disease outbreaks

There is a traditional Chinese saying that a setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. That's certainly the case for the mainland's public health system, which has developed in leaps and...

Transparency a key lesson learned from Sars outbreak in mainland China

Ten years ago, after mounting criticism from governments around the world and the World Health Organisation, which were concerned about a possible cover-up of the severity of severe acute...

When Sars first spread, Guangzhou residents sought out vinegar

When 20 people were approached at random in Guangzhou and asked what first comes to mind when they think about Sars, 15 said vinegar. Four mentioned the isatis root, a Chinese medicine rumoured to...

Scientists warn of more serious disease threats than Sars

A decade on from the Sars outbreak, experts agree that the disease could return - but its effects are unlikely to be as devastating as in 2003. Hong Kong is now fully capable of battling an...

Infectious disease hospitals expanded on mainland after Sars outbreak

Shanghai suffered less than many cities from the 2003 Sars outbreak, reporting only eight cases and just one death. But the municipal government still set aside 700,000 square metres of land to...