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The way the Chinese deal with crisis is to listen to rumours. The thinking is that in times of crisis rumours are the only way to really know what is going on – because the media is heavily controlled. As is now well known, the Beijing government was indeed covering up the true figures. When they were pressured to come out with the truth, the number of daily infections went from single figures, then into the scores.

Beijing panicked.

There was a look of fear in people’s eyes. Walking along the street near my home, locals eyed me suspiciously as I approached them, and then took a wide path around me as I passed by. It was rumoured that foreigners were responsible for bringing SARS to China – The Integrated Society, MindFutures, Marcus Anthony