REUTERS/Simon Kwong
The Taiwan Post Office released a series of anti-SARS stamps. Funds collected were designated to fight the disease, which was declared under control in Taiwan on July 5.

November 2002: Initial cases of a severe, new pneumonia appear in Guangdong Province, South China. The World Health Organization (WHO) is not warned.

Feb. 28, 2003: Hanoi, Vietnam, asks WHO representative Carlo Urbani for assistance with a similar disease. Urbani warns WHO of probable existence of new infection.

March 15: WHO issues emergency travel advisory, and creates network of 11 labs [including Hong Kong but not mainland China] to identify cause.

March 17: Human metapneumovirus isolated.



March 18: Hunt for SARS agent intensifies; 250 causes ruled out (www.the-scientist.com/news/20030318/05).

March 20: Guangdong doctor linked to SARS outbreak in Hong Kong (www.the-scientist.com/news/20030320/09).

March 21: Hong Kong and Germany isolate new agent. The Netherlands finds all German cases negative...

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