The impact of community psychological responses on outbreak control for severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To examine the public's knowledge and perception of SARS and the extent to which various precautionary measures have been adopted. DESIGN:Cross sectional survey. SETTING:General population of Hong Kong at the height of the SARS outbreak (29 March to 6 April 2003). PARTICIPANTS:1115 ethnic Chinese adults. MAIN RESULTS:Forty per cent did not recognise fomites as a possible mode of transmission whereas 55.1% believed that the infection could be transmitted airborne. A large proportion (30.1%) believed they were very or somewhat likely to contract SARS while only one quarter believed they were very likely to survive if they contracted the disease, benchmarked against an actual case fatality ratio of 2.8% at the time of the survey and 15%-20% according to current best estimates. Preca

SUBMITTER: Leung GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1732323 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature