The Impacts on Health, Society, and Economy of SARS and H7N9 Outbreaks in China: A Case Comparison Study

BACKGROUND: Epidemics such as SARS and H7N9 have caused huge negative impacts on population health and the economy in China. AIMS: This article discusses the impacts of SARS in 2003 and H7N9 in 2013 in China, in order to provide a better understanding to government and practitioners of why improving management of response to infectious disease outbreaks is so critical for a country's economy, its society, and its place in the global community. METHODS: To provide the results of an analysis of impacts of SARS and H7N9 based on feedback from documents, informants, and focus groups on events during the SARS and H7N9 outbreaks. RESULTS: Both outbreaks of SARS and H7N9 have had an impact on China, causing significant negative impacts on health, the economy, and even national and even international security. CONCLUSIONS: Both SARS coronavirus and H7N9 viruses presented a global epidemic threat, but the social and economic impacts of H7N9 were not as serious as in the case of SARS because the response to H7N9 was more effective.