Although we may not believe it and most of us do not know it, before the Pandemicwe are living today, caused by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), other viruses of thesame coronavirus family have already caused epidemics/pademics in past years.Although they did not have the same impact, they left their mark and many peoplehave died because of them.90 // PANDEMIC / CORONAVIRUS: A VIRUS IN MODERN TIMES
SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in November 2002 and causedsevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The 2002/2003 Pandemic wasthe first that appeared caused by SARS-CoV. Starting in southern China,it spread to almost all continents within a few weeks and claimed 774 liveswithin six months. The World Health Organization (WHO) distinguished betweencountries where local chains of infection existed, i.e. where new infectionsoccurred, and those where the disease only occurred in travellers whohad become infected in the countries in the first category. Countries withlocal chains of infection were the Republic of China, Hong Kong, Singapore,Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, the United States and the United Kingdom.As the first pandemic of the 21st century, it aroused new fears among thepopulation and was widely covered by the media worldwide. It killed 45 peopleoutside Asia and is a warning example of the rapid spread of disease in theinterconnected, globalised world.The "Super Spreader"On February 21, Liu Jianlun, although sick fora few days, travelled from Guangzhou to HongKong for a wedding. There he moved into room911 on the ninth floor of the Metropole Hotel,where he infected twelve hotel guests within 24hours. He died on 4 March in the Kwong WahHospital. Among the newly infected were threeSingaporeans, two Canadians, the US businessmanJohnny Chen on his way to Singaporeand a 26-year-old local who visited a friend inthe hotel. The international guests, as hosts,carried the virus beyond China's borders intoother countries, directly or indirectly infectingabout 350 people. The WHO has calculatedthat more than 4000 SARS cases worldwidecan be attributed to Liu Jianlun at the MetropoleHotel. For this reason, the building was giventhe name "Superspreader", which was establishedin the media, especially in the tabloidpress, for Liu Jianlun himself.The CausesThe WHO sees the causes for the rapid spreadof the initial epidemic and later pandemic inthe very dense settlement of Guangzhou andthe surrounding Pearl River Delta (China). Theregion is home to a large number of wild andexotic animals, which is why it is very popularwith tourists, with its many speciality restaurants.On animal farms, animal markets and inrestaurants the inhabitants live, work and eatin close proximity to animals. The animals arekept in cages, sold and slaughtered in front ofeveryone. The counters where the raw meatand slaughtered animals are sold are often onlya few meters away from the workers' eatingplaces. According to the WHO, these conditions- overpopulated and unhygienic - are abreeding ground for the spread of infection. Itis now assumed that SARS was transmitted bythe larval scooter.THE MANUAL ON VIRUSES// 91
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