Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

1
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Jeffery Chrabaszcz Geog 801.11 Cities in a Global
izing World
The Chinese Connection

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, (SARS), became
  a global threat March 12, 2003. This is the date
  the virus was detected in Beijing and Hong Kong,
  having spread from the small town surrounding
  Canton, China.
• Within days, the unidentified strain of pneumonia
  had spread to predictable places, such as Vietnam
  and other countries in South and Southeast Asia,
  and also to North America, most notably the city
  of Toronto, Canada.
• This rapid transmission of a virus across
  hemispheres, as well as the ensuing
  identification, quarantine, and education
  concerning the virus allows for a very unique
  view of the global community. From the positive
  aspects displayed, such as the response of the
  World Health Organization, (WHO), and
  international cooperation, to the astoundingly
  negative attributes witnessed like the greed
  inherent in certain cities focused on drawing
  international business at the cost of social
  wellbeing, SARS allows for a unique view of
  Globalization as it specifically affects large
  cities.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, (SARS), became
a global threat March 12, 2003. This is the date
the virus was detected in Beijing and Hong Kong,
having spread from the small town surrounding
Canton, China. Within days, the unidentified st
rain of pneumonia had spread to predictable
places, such as Vietnam and other countries in
South and Southeast Asia, and also to North
America, most notably the city of Toronto,
Canada. This rapid transmission of a virus acro
ss hemispheres, as well as the ensuing
identification, quarantine, and education
concerning the virus allows for a very unique
view of the global community. From the positive
aspects displayed, such as the response of the
World Health Organization, (WHO), and
international cooperation, to the astoundingly
negative attributes witnessed like the greed
inherent in certain cities focused on drawing
international business at the cost of social
wellbeing, SARS allows for a unique view of
Globalization as it specifically affects large
cities.
A Global Sense of Urgency

• One side effect of heavy global connections is
  the urgency to maintain a business-friendly
  environment
  
• Toronto, in an effort to recover quickly from the
  initial SARS outbreak, lifted their quarantine,
  unleashing a second wave of the virus on the
  country, as shown in the graph to the left.

World

• This contrasts heavily with the rest of the
  world, which shows a steady decline in the number
  of new cases.
  
• This sequence gives further credibility to the
  global health community, but shows the pitfalls
  associated with disregarding policy laid out by
  groups such as the World Health Organization.

• Chronology of a Pandemic
• 2003
• February 11 The government of China's southern
  Guangdong province says 305 people contracted
  atypical pneumonia in the province between
  November 16 and February 9 and five died.
• The statement by the Guangdong health bureau is
  the first public announcement by the Chinese
  authorities about the outbreak of the disease
  later to become known as SARS.
• February 22 Doctor Liu Jianlun, a 64-year-old
  medical professor from Guangdong province, is
  admitted to hospital in Hong Kong after falling
  ill while staying at the
• Metropole Hotel, where he infected a number of
  other guests, including those believed to be
  responsible for the initial outbreaks of SARS in
  Canada, Singapore and Vietnam.
• He dies in a Hong Kong hospital on March 4.
• February 26 Johnny Chen, a 50-year-old
  Chinese-American who was a guest at the Metropole
  Hotel, is admitted to Hanoi's French Hospital
  after falling ill while on a business trip to
  Vietnam.
• Dozens of French Hospital staff begin falling
  sick and Chen is evacuated to Hong Kong, where he
  dies on March 13.
  
• March 5 Kwan Sui-chu, 78, who stayed at the
  Metropole Hotel at the same time as Liu, dies in
  Toronto, becoming the first SARS death in Canada.
  Her son dies March 14th.

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, (SARS), became
  a global threat March 12, 2003. This is the date
  the virus was detected in Beijing and Hong Kong,
  having spread from the small town surrounding
  Canton, China.
• Within days, the unidentified strain of pneumonia
  had spread to predictable places, such as Vietnam
  and other countries in South and Southeast Asia,
  and also to North America, most notably the city
  of Toronto, Canada.
• This rapid transmission of a virus across
  hemispheres, as well as the ensuing
  identification, quarantine, and education
  concerning the virus allows for a very unique
  view of the global community. From the positive
  aspects displayed, such as the response of the
  World Health Organization, (WHO), and
  international cooperation, to the astoundingly
  negative attributes witnessed like the greed
  inherent in certain cities focused on drawing
  international business at the cost of social
  wellbeing, SARS allows for a unique view of
  Globalization as it specifically affects large
  cities.