Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was a sudden disaster that interrupted daily life. It became a challenge for the whole of society. Living, especially how to live well, was no longer a matter of philosophical debate but a necessity. So, did SARS change people's thinking?

Who is the most reliable: family and government

Panic over SARS overwhelmed people initially because there was insufficient information about the disease and fears were fuelled by rumor. According to a telephone survey of 321 Beijingers, from Horizon Research, about 75 percent of residents believed family members were the most reliable; 57.6 percent of residents said that they could trust the government; 39.6 percent of people thought friends were the most reliable; 33.3 percent of people believed that they could trust hospitals and 23.4 percent respondents said they trusted the media. As much as 22.4 percent of respondents trusted their colleagues and 20.2 percent of respondents trusted their units during the SARS period.

Who are the most respected? Doctors and nurses

Soldiers, teachers and scientists used to be the answer when asking people who the most respected person was. During the SARS period though, people have changed their answers to doctors and nurses. According to telephone investigations to 1,200 respondents in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hohhot, Yinchuan, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Wuhan, made by the Social Survey Institute of China (SSIC), as much as 73 percent of respondents said that they now understood the meaning of the phrase: "doctors are just like patients' parents", with some even having had prejudice about doctors before. Some 92 percent of respondents believed that doctors and nurses are the most respected people in the SARS battle, and 89 percent of respondents said that Doctor Zhong Nanshan was a hero.

How to prevent SARS? Ventilation, frequent hand washing, decrease social activity

Washing hands and ventilation were the two measures people took to prevent SARS. According to telephone research of 855 citizens in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Xi'an and Chengdu, as many as 97.3 percent and 96.3 percent of people adopted ventilation and washing hands frequently as the two measures to prevent SARS. About 86 percent and 85.2 percent of people took enough rest to reduce pressure and avoid the chance to join parties. Some 62.7 percent of people disinfected their homes and things. Other 51.2 percent of people had taken preventive medicine to protect them from getting SARS.

What kind of information were people interested in? The progress of medical research, publication of epidemic situation information and knowledge on SARS prevention.

When asking respondents which information they were interested in, about 27.8 percent of people chose the progress of medical research. The result comes from telephone investigations made by Renmin University of China Consensus Research Institute and Beijing Youth Daily. The survey was compiled with the help of 396 Beijingers. The research shows about 24.3 percent of citizens were interested in information on the SARS situation including the number of SARS cases, deaths and the recoveries. Another 20.9 percent of respondents showed their interest in the SARS prevention.

Where did the citizens go to get SARS information? Television and newspapers

In order to fight SARS, the government not only mobilized all its power from society to cure and prevent SARS, but published all information on the epidemic. Television, newspapers and other media became the main source for the public to get SARS information. According to Horizon Research's survey of 321 Beijingers, 96.9 percent of people got SARS information from television, 84.4 percent from newspapers, with about 44.9 percent from their units and colleagues. However, the Internet and short message media also occupied 38.3 percent and 20.2 percent in the research respectively.

What was the most necessary measure? The government publishing the real facts on the epidemic situation

According to Horizon Research's research of 321 Beijingers, 86.8 percent of citizens showed their satisfaction of the measures that were adopted by the government. When asked what the most necessary measure was during the SARS period, 62.6 percent of respondents believed that the government publishing the real epidemic situation was the most necessary measure. About 53.3 percent of respondents believed that China should establish a perfect epidemic prevention system. About 49.5 percent of citizens said the government should have published situation information relevant to SARS cases and their areas. About 34.6 percent of citizens believed that the Chinese government cooperated well with WHO, and 34.3 percent of citizens believed the government encouraged and supported medical staff in the SARS situation. Some 20.6 percent of citizens said the government should help and reimburse SARS patients, especially poor people.

Which word would express the public's feeling now? Calm

Public panic has decreased as the government paid a lot of attention to the epidemic and issued a lot of publicity during May. According to investigations by Horizon Research of 321 Beijingers, 65.4 percent of citizens used "calmness" to describe their feelings, and 50.5 percent of citizens showed that they would continue to stay alert to the epidemic. However, about 39.6 percent of people used "optimism" and 27.4 percent of people used "relaxation" to describe their feelings. About 23.7 percent of people thought they had no alternative to SARS. Only 9.3 percent of people still used "panic" and 2.2 percent of people use "affliction" to describe their feelings.

(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan May 29, 2003)