[Opinion] Socio-psychological Observation about SARS

There have been many hypotheses on the demise of the Aztec Civilization in Mexico in early 16th Century. The fact that millions of Aztec people were defeated by some 600-men Spanish force led by Hernann Cortez still remains a mystery. The most convincing hypothesis is about prevalence of an epidemic. The Spaniards brought not only guns and swords, but also a smallpox germ to conquest the land. The indigenous were shocked to find that their people were killed helplessly while the Spaniard were sound and well. Not knowing the invaders were inoculated, people of Aztec believed that the Spaniards were the messenger of the god and gave up their faith in their god of the sun. Historian William McNeil noted in his book `Epidemics and Humans,` ˝A germ could end the entire human civilization.˝

God, however, opens another door when he closes one. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a flu-like deadly virus spreading fast in China, might serve as a catalyst to reform and democracy in the country as the Chernvyl Incident in 1986 did in Russia. Just as Mikhail Gorbachyov pushed for Glasnost and Perestroika after the nuke incident, Chinese President Hu Jintao now seems all intent to push for a political reform taking the SARS crisis as an opportunity. He has, indeed, sacked high-ranking party officials and urged the media and press to cover issues of public interest rather than focusing too much on political rallies.

SARS, recorded as the 21st Century`s first infectious disease, has revealed the dark as well as the bright side of the so-called globalization. Like many global travelers crossing borders between countries, SARS could spread to one country to another freely. The World Health Organization issued for the first in its 55-year history a warning against trips to some parts of the world. With the global monitoring system, the organization has managed to stem the relentless spread of the virus, which could have been too a daunting task even to U.N. Security Council. With the outbreak of the globalized disease, however, the world is seeing a new Apartheid policy in terms of epidemic control. Chinese restaurants across the world are now almost empty, border checks have been beefed up and people have grown so wary about getting close to others.

Looking into the fact, however, we might find that SARS is not as dreadful as many believe. Only about 400 people have died of the virus worldwide since the first confirmed case in November last year. Given that some 20,000 to 30,000 people die of influenza in the U.S. every year and a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds in Africa, it pales in comparison. As it is estimated that some 1,500 people are killed after slipping on the stairs in Britain, the stairs must be a more life-threatening agent than SARS. “People have a propensity to get scared of something uncertain and they know little about,” observed British socio-psychologist Dr. Peter Marsh. Due to the lack of knowledge, even a conspiracy theory almost sounds convincing. What we fear, then, might be fear itself rather than the virus.

yuri@donga.com