Social distance and SARS memory: impact on the public awareness of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

This study examines publicly available online search data in China to investigate the spread of public awareness of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We found that cities that suffered from SARS and have greater migration ties to the epicentre, Wuhan, had earlier, stronger and more durable public awareness of the outbreak. Our data indicate that forty-eight such cities developed awareness up to 19 days earlier than 255 comparable cities, giving them an opportunity to better prepare. This study suggests that it is important to consider memory of prior catastrophic events as they will influence the public response to emerging threats.