I can only agree with the sentiments of the SCMP reporter. Whilst I admit that it was probably better to err on the side of caution during the early days of the SARS outbreak when little was known about the disease, the resulting hysteria has caused far more damage than the disease itself. That hysteria has been fed largely by the global media seeking to senationalise the situation.
Yes, people have died from SARS, a great tragedy for all concerned. However, the majority of those who have died from this disease have been elderly, had some underlying chronic disease, or had simply delayed seeking treatment until it was too late. In addition, according to the WHO, SARS is far less infectious than many other respiratory illnesses we have learned to live with; a fact born out by the relatively low number of cases compared to the size of the population. Now that more is known about SARS, can we all please put things in perspective and get on with repairing the considerable damage that has been caused?