While people around the world were trying to deal with the treatment and containment of the disease, civic and national leaders were dealing with other aspects of SARS. Of particular concern was the way a new contagious disease affected the economy and politics of places that had suffered large outbreaks of SARS.

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China was not honest about the SARS outbreak in providing information about the mysterious disease to the international medical community. In addition, the government was equally dishonest to its own citizens about SARS. China's history contains stories of several empires that were toppled because of uprisings by the masses. Lest they suffer the same fate, modern Chinese leaders have tried to keep frightening events such as the SARS epidemic a secret. By the government's decision not to be truthful, say experts, Chinese leaders were...