Did the SARS thing

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   I was living in HK raising a family and teaching ESL for 13 years. We were there for SARS and the start of the bird flu. 
Here is an idea of what it can be like in a scare of this type. 
I watched the newspaper for articles on a new illness over several weeks. China didn't say much you knew trouble was on the way.I started to buy masks and tons of hand wipes. By the time the newspaper admitted there was a concern and the border was doing checks, panic buying had started. 
Water rice and other staples were impossible to get. It was now very hard to find the good masks if at all, soon there were only the thin blue  doctor style masks at crazy prices. Some stores were low on sugar and bleach. 
People went about there daily business wearing masks including myself at first. Hi had to teach English wearing a mask ( a bit silly) It was scary and I can tell you that you get nervous for along time. Picture a crowded airconditioned bus packed full of mask wearers staring at anyone who gives any sign of being ill, not to mention people not wearing masks. You get a feeling of claustrophobia after wearing them for awhile. 
I took the children out of school about a week and a half before the schools closed. We stayed in most of the time playing board games and such. other people started to stay in more also. I still needed to go out to the grocery and it was nerve wracking! You needed to clean your shoes and leave them outside your door. The hospital that was first designated for SARS patients was just down the hill from us so you worried about that also. The Hospital still was on yellow alert months later. Were the patients relatives in line next to you at the market? Were they next to you on the mini bus? So you took taxi's instead. Then the taxis started being careful who they picked up. Drivers were nervous they wore a mask and kept the windows down. Which by then was fine with me as I only went out if I really needed to. 
The quarantines started in another part of town. People ran from it if they could . People in the ajoining apartment blocks grabbed what they could and ran before they were quarantined. Sewer pipes became a concern, then pet cats! There was a chance cats could carry the disease. People began dumping their cats at the pound (just in case). 
People were told it was spread person to person that it was not airborne, the masks would not really help. Everyone looked at everyone else with a bit of fear. We waited it out, what else could we do? We watched the nws everyday to see the number of new cases. Finally they started to drop, then it was over for the most part. 
It stays with you it doesn't completely go away the fear of germs.Mistrust of the government. Then the bird flu started to become an issue,  the chickens were all killed it was over for then. 
Why am I telling you this? I know SARS is different, but I wanted you to get a feel of what it's like to live in this type of situation.You need to prepare mentally for this situation not just stock up on supplies. This was a case where the virus was not so wide spread and still it caused panic. 
If and when we deal with bird flu here people will probably feel just the same way. But there will also be looting...
Sweets, I edited only the type color... it was making my eyes bleed.  SZ

Edited by SophiaZoe