Lesson one: honesty is needed

In an emergent event, an information blackout makes absolutely no sense. The first case of SARS appeared in Guangdong province, China, in November 2002,1 but information about it was not broadcast on Central TV, the official Chinese television station, until February 2003,2 though rumours spread via cell phones and the internet. It was not until three months after the breakout of epidemics that a group of healthcare officials were sent to investigate. Before this, the absence of open news was an attempt to maintain social stability. But the silence led to panic buying of vinegar and some Chinese herbal drugs that were believed to help prevent this “mysterious” disease. Soaring prices for these goods extended to others, undermining the intended social stability. Things began to change when information, in the form of daily roundups on SARS epidemics and public education on disease prevention, reached the community.

Honesty is what matters. The public needs to know the truth; concealing what happens may lead to a panic rather than to social stability. Prevention and control of communicable diseases remains critical for the …