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SARS Outbreak Timeline

(November 2002 - July 2003)

The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak was a viral respiratory illness caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), first identified in Guangdong Province, China, in November 2002. It spread to more than two dozen countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America before being contained by July 2003 through international public health cooperation, quarantine measures, and travel advisories. Less

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Containment and Aftermath

SARS outbreak ends with over 8,000 infected and 774 dead

Nov 2002 - Jul 2003

By the time the WHO declared SARS contained in July 2003, the 2002–2004 outbreak had infected over 8,000 people from 30 countries and territories and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide, making it one of the most significant epidemics of the early 21st century.

Image source: SARS

SARS outbreak ends with over 8,000 infected and 774 dead

SARS cases decline as containment efforts take hold

May 2003 - Jun 2003

By May and June 2003, sustained public health measures including isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing brought new SARS cases sharply down across affected regions. The decline paved the way for the WHO to begin declaring regions free of local transmission.

Post-outbreak vigilance continues after containment

Jul 2003 - Dec 2003

Even after the WHO declared SARS contained on 5 July 2003, health authorities maintained surveillance for possible re-emergence of the virus. Continued vigilance proved warranted, as isolated SARS cases would surface again in the following months.

Several additional SARS cases reported after containment

Jul 2003 - May 2004

Despite the WHO's declaration of containment in July 2003, several SARS cases were reported until May 2004. These sporadic cases, including laboratory-associated infections, delayed the complete end of the 2002–2004 outbreak period.

WHO declares SARS contained

Jul 5, 2003

On 5 July 2003, the World Health Organization declared SARS contained, marking the end of the major phase of the outbreak roughly eight months after it began. The declaration followed weeks without new cases in previously affected areas.

Final SARS cases reported in early 2004

Jan 2004 - May 2004

In the winter and spring of 2004, a small number of additional SARS cases were confirmed before the outbreak finally subsided. By May 2004, no further cases were being reported, effectively ending the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak.

First winter without a SARS case since the outbreak

Dec 2004 - Mar 2005

The winter of 2004–2005 was the first winter without a single case of SARS since the initial outbreak in late 2002. The absence of cases signaled that the virus had been successfully eliminated from human circulation.

No SARS cases reported in 2005

Jan 2005 - May 2005

By 2005, no cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome had been reported that year or in late 2004. As Jim Yardley of the New York Times wrote in May 2005, it was the first winter without a case since the initial outbreak in late 2002.

Jim Yardley reports on SARS-free year in New York Times

May 2005

In May 2005, Jim Yardley of the New York Times wrote: 'Not a single case of the severe acute respiratory syndrome has been reported this year [2005] or in late 2004.' His reporting highlighted that it was the first winter without a case since the initial outbreak in late 2002.

Origins and Early Spread

SARS first identified in Foshan, Guangdong

Nov 2002

The outbreak was first identified in Foshan, Guangdong, China, in November 2002. This marked the earliest recognition of the mysterious respiratory illness that would soon spread beyond southern China and become a global public health emergency.

Early spread of SARS within Guangdong

Nov 2002 - Feb 2003

Following its emergence in Foshan in November 2002, SARS spread through communities and hospitals in Guangdong province during late 2002 and early 2003. The initial period of transmission occurred largely before international health authorities were fully informed of the outbreak's scale.

Major phase of the SARS outbreak unfolds

Nov 2002 - Jul 2003

The major part of the SARS outbreak lasted about eight months, from November 2002 to July 2003. During this period the disease infected over 8,000 people from 30 countries and territories and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide.

SARS outbreak begins in Guangdong province

Nov 16, 2002

On 16 November 2002, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) began in China's Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong. The illness was caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), which would go on to infect over 8,000 people across 30 countries and territories.

SARS-CoV-1 identified as cause of the outbreak

2003

Scientists identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1) as the cause of the 2002–2004 outbreak. The identification of the novel coronavirus enabled diagnostic testing and informed the public health strategies used to contain the epidemic.

Image source: SARS-CoV-1

SARS-CoV-1 identified as cause of the outbreak

Liu Jianlun becomes Hong Kong's SARS index patient

Feb 2003

In February 2003, Liu Jianlun became Hong Kong's SARS index patient. A doctor who had treated patients in Guangdong, he carried the virus to Hong Kong, where his stay at a hotel led to further transmission that ultimately seeded outbreaks around the world.

Image source: 2002–2004 SARS outbreak

Liu Jianlun becomes Hong Kong's SARS index patient

International spread of SARS from Hong Kong

Feb 2003 - Mar 2003

From Hong Kong, SARS spread rapidly via international air travel in February and March 2003. Infected travelers carried the virus to numerous countries, contributing to the more than 8,000 infections eventually recorded across 30 countries and territories.

SARS spreads to 30 countries and territories

Feb 2003 - Jul 2003

Over the course of the 2002–2004 outbreak, SARS spread to more than 30 countries and territories, infecting over 8,000 people. International air travel played a key role in carrying the virus far beyond its origins in southern China.

Guangdong outbreak peaks in mid-February

Feb 15, 2003

China later reported that the SARS outbreak in Guangdong had peaked in mid-February 2003. Despite this peak in the province where the disease emerged, the virus was already poised to spread internationally through travelers from the region.

Global Response

Health-care workers among hardest hit by SARS

Nov 2002 - Jul 2003

Throughout the outbreak, health-care workers were disproportionately affected. In China's initial report to the WHO alone, 105 of the 305 reported cases were health-care workers, underscoring the risks faced by medical staff treating SARS patients in hospitals.

WHO notified of the SARS outbreak

Feb 2003

In February 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) was formally notified of the SARS outbreak. The notification set in motion international surveillance efforts as cases continued to multiply in China and began appearing elsewhere in Asia and beyond.

China notifies WHO of the outbreak

Feb 11, 2003

The People's Republic of China notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak on 11 February 2003, reporting 305 cases including 105 health-care workers and five deaths. This notification came roughly three months after the outbreak began in Guangdong province.

WHO issues global alert on SARS

Mar 2003

In March 2003, the World Health Organization issued a global alert about the SARS outbreak. The unprecedented alert warned health authorities worldwide about the atypical pneumonia spreading from Asia and urged heightened surveillance and containment measures.

Singapore shuts schools amid SARS fears

Mar 2003 - Apr 6, 2003

The Ministry of Education in Singapore announced that all primary schools, secondary schools, and junior colleges were to be shut until 6 April 2003. The sweeping closure was part of Singapore's aggressive efforts to curb the spread of SARS within the city-state.

Singapore implements strict SARS containment measures

Mar 2003 - May 2003

Alongside school closures, Singapore deployed quarantine measures, temperature screening, and isolation of suspected cases during the spring of 2003. These measures became a model for epidemic response and helped bring Singapore's SARS outbreak under control.

SARS disrupts daily life across affected regions

Mar 2003 - Jun 2003

At the height of the outbreak in spring 2003, SARS disrupted travel, commerce, and everyday life across affected regions in Asia and beyond. Quarantines, travel advisories, and public fear significantly reduced movement between cities and countries battling the virus.

FIFA Women's World Cup moved to United States

May 3, 2003

On 3 May, the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was abruptly moved to the United States due to the SARS outbreak. The tournament had originally been scheduled to be held in China, but concerns over the epidemic forced organizers to relocate the event on short notice.

Image source: 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup moved to United States

Legacy and COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 discovered in Wuhan

Dec 2019

In late December 2019, SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus in the same genus as the one that caused SARS, was discovered in Wuhan, Hubei, China. The discovery of the novel virus recalled memories of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak and prompted immediate investigation.

Image source: SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 discovered in Wuhan

COVID-19 emerges as disease caused by SARS-CoV-2

Dec 2019

The newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 strain causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease related to but distinct from SARS. Unlike SARS-CoV-1, the new coronavirus proved capable of sustained global transmission, echoing and exceeding the earlier outbreak's impact.

Image source: COVID-19

COVID-19 emerges as disease caused by SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 spreads across Asia in early 2020

Jan 2020 - Feb 2020

In early 2020, COVID-19 spread from Wuhan to other areas of Asia, following patterns reminiscent of the 2003 SARS outbreak. Countries that had experienced SARS drew on lessons learned from that epidemic as they responded to the emerging threat.

Image source: COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 spreads across Asia in early 2020

COVID-19 spreads worldwide, starting the pandemic

Mar 2020

In early 2020, COVID-19 spread worldwide, marking the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic represented the legacy of the SARS outbreak, as the new coronavirus belonged to the same genus as SARS-CoV-1 and benefited from the globalized travel networks that had also fueled SARS's spread in 2003.

Key Facts

  1. SARS was caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) believed to have originated in bats and passed to humans through intermediate hosts such as civet cats in Guangdong Province, China.
  2. The first known case appeared in November 2002 in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, but the outbreak gained global attention after Dr. Carlo Urbani of the WHO identified it as a new disease in February 2003; he later died from the illness.
  3. SARS spread rapidly through international air travel, reaching over 25 countries, with major outbreaks in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, Canada (Toronto), and Taiwan.
  4. Approximately 8,098 people were infected worldwide, resulting in 774 deaths, giving the virus a case fatality rate of roughly 9-10%, which rose significantly among elderly patients.
  5. The World Health Organization declared the global outbreak contained on July 5, 2003, following coordinated containment strategies including isolation, quarantine, contact tracing, and travel restrictions—efforts that shaped future pandemic responses.

Source

This SARS Outbreak timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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