Utilization of Ontario’s Health System During the 2003 SARS Outbreak

In February 2003, a Canadian resident returned from Hong Kong with what later became known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The spread of this disease within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during the next few months would directly impact hundreds of Ontario residents. As of August 2003, there had been 438 probable and suspected cases in Canada, including 44 deaths of which the majority were in the GTA.

This study examines how the health system and public response to the SARS outbreak affected utilization of non-SARS related health services.