Sars: Is the epidemic nearly over?

The World Health Organisation says Hong Kong is effectively free of Sars and has taken it off its list of infected areas.

It has been 20 days since the last case of the virus was diagnosed in the territory.

There have been 296 deaths in Hong Kong due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).

WHO officials are warning that the territory must remain vigilant if it is to avoid the kind of recurrence experienced by the Canadian city of Toronto.

Toronto reported two new Sars deaths on Sunday, despite the apparent tailing off of the disease there.

Has the battle against Sars been won? Is the epidemic coming to an end? Tell us what you think.

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Thank you for your e-mails. This debate is now closed. The following comments reflect the balance of opinions we have received:

Perhaps this epidemic is drawing to a close, but who is to say that an outbreak of this magnitude or greater cannot erupt again? We should not be asking if this outbreak is over, but what is the WHO and other health organizations doing to prevent or prepare for another outbreak in the future.
Tim, Bethesda, MD, USA

The worry is that we will relax and it'll pop up again John Smith, UK

The epidemic is indeed over, but the virus is still in circulation. It only achieved the levels of publicity as it couldn't be named at the start of the outbreak. Otherwise, once it was identified, it was a fairly routine infection to prevent; basic hygiene fixed much of the problem. The worry is that we will all relax and reduce our levels of hygiene and it'll pop up again. The lesson is clear.
John Smith, UK

SARS - the epidemic that never was unless you were a tabloid journalist. More people die every day of Malaria than have died in total of SARS.
David Howe, UK

Taking the frustrating school examinations without a stupid mask on your face, really enjoyable!
Kani Chan, Hong Kong

SARS will not be over until a vaccine is developed. This is essentially flu like virus that kills a high proportion of people that are infected. These simple facts mean that there should be worldwide constant vigilance for outbreaks.
John Ioannou, UK

Yes, it seems that the SARS epidemic has blown over for now, but it's too soon to celebrate, encephalitis is on the way.
Phil, USA

It is not understood enough well enough to control Paul Quigley, Canada

Not a chance. It is not understood enough well enough to control. If it ever springs up in other places, they will have to isolate the whole area from top to bottom.
Paul Quigley, Canada

It's strange how the media can sensationalize one virus over other issues at hand, such as famine across the world, wars, etc. I recently went to visit in the USA and was asked about how I felt about the thousands of people dying in Toronto. The last I've heard, there was 36 deaths.
Jason d'Eon, Montreal, Canada

Canadian health authorities didn't give the virus the respect it deserved and they got burned. Chinese authorities did, and have eradicated it. Simple really....
Albert Frohike, Canada

If there was an epidemic at all, it had come to the end. SARS may strike back in the winter, but it will never be the same threat to us because we know this enemy better now. The worries over SARS have caused enormous damage to the economy in Asia, especially to the travel industry. Let's pack our bag, contact our travel agents, and pay a visit to the region, to show our thumb up to people in the Asian countries for their efforts on fighting against the virus.
Elby Drewsen, Sweden

Even if SARS is completely eradicated, it's clear we are entering a new era of infectious disease. It is only a matter of time before the next virulent outbreak arrives. The climate is changing, livestock are pumped full of antibiotics on factory farms, common field crops are genetically engineered to express pesticides, and our planet is losing natural buffering mechanisms.
Thomas Rohricht, Canada

The response has been, after a few false starts, nothing but outstanding Bob Guy, Singapore

SARS caught Asia by surprise but the response has been, after a few false starts, nothing but outstanding. The Asian approach to diligence, hard work and stick-to-the-job-until the end ethic has brought our region near to the end of the outbreak. Now that SARS is in regional remission, the world should reward those living in Asia by coming back to enjoy the rewards of this culturally rich region. The disease is nearly gone and with it should be the fear to travel! The values will be great, but only for a short time so visit as soon as you can.
Bob Guy, Singapore

Why oh why do you have to illustrate the fact that HK is now SARS-free with a picture of people wearing masks? We don't do that any more! Please stop perpetuating the myth.
Paul Christensen, Hong Kong

There is a great sense of relief here - although some of our more paranoid citizens are still reluctant to cast off their masks. Unfortunately it could come back in winter, especially as people are already getting sloppy about their hygiene habits. Fortunately it has been a wake-up call for the world, a preparedness test for the next epidemic that is just around the corner.
Ajana, Hong Kong

Was there an epidemic in the first place? Adrian, England

Well to be fair, was there an epidemic in the first place? The number of cases recorded does not place it amongst the most contagious diseases on record, especially given the population densities in the worst hit areas such as Hong Kong. If it wasn't for the higher then average mortality rate, it's doubtful whether anyone would have noticed it in the first place in my opinion.
Adrian, England

I believe that Sars is here to stay. The WHO must continue to carry out research for an effective cure for this highly contagious disease.
Elizabeth Cheong, Singapore

Epidemic? What epidemic? Far more people die every year from malaria, cholera and typhoid. Nasty it may be, but it is nothing compared to the 1918 flu which killed 20 million. Overblown hype due to fear of the unknown.
Mike, UK

The epidemic may not be nearly over, but the hysterics about SARS must be over. Now that we are more aware of the virus and that we are more careful, we should get on with our life again. Lots of jobs have been lost due to sars, we need to do business as usual.
Annica Nyberg, Sweden

We have learnt a lesson from the epidemic Lawrence Lau, Hong Kong

As a university student in Hong Kong, it is a milestone for Hong Kong to be removed from the list of infected areas. We have learnt a lesson from the epidemic. I cannot say that the epidemic is coming to an end fully, but I am confident that even if SARS comes in the winter, we will be able to contain the widespread of the disease.
Lawrence Lau, Hong Kong, China

In a modern world full of man-made viruses and an ever changing climate due to global warming who can really tell what is going to come next? Only time will tell.
Rabs, UK

The epidemic will not come to an end until an effective vaccine is invented.
Rosy Ng, Hong Kong

The epidemic seems to be to be tailing off. However, as long as a single person carries the illness in its contagious stage and a reliable vaccine or cure remains elusive, Sars remains dangerous. Remember that a single incidence of the unidentified illness in a human is likely to have led to the epidemic in the first place, and without constant vigilance it could quite easily break out again.
C. Hunter, England

Few people are now concerned about Sars. In addition, most people are taking their masks off. But, who says this terrible disease is over? This is the time we should be more careful.
Tae Kyung Park, South Korea

It is more probable that SARS is not the result of a new virus. Instead, there is little doubt that cases of infection, often misdiagnosed, resulting in SARS, have been around for a long time, and have occurred in various parts of the world at less than epidemic proportions. Even that is difficult to argue because many infections can result in pneumonia. Some of those can turn to double pneumonia and a percentage of the affected do die from that complication. Where medicine remains underdeveloped, or primitive, and antibiotic use is less frequent than use of traditional medicines, the percentage of complications and fatalities is expected to be higher giving the illusory indications of a special case of "epidemic". The only thing that the recent SARS scare does is emphasize the need for the development of better diagnostic techniques, better statistics, and better pharmaceutical technology to combat dangerous outbreaks of illness, including anti virals. It might be that the next war of mass destruction might come about as a viral war rather than a nuclear war. All the more reason for research.
Robert Morpheal, Canada