First reported in Asia in 2003, it was the illness that popularized the surgical-mask as street wear. More than 8,000 people were sickened and 774 died after contracting the disease from droplets released through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms included high fever, headache and body aches, and after about a week many would develop a dry cough and eventually pneumonia — hence the face masks. After nearly six months of panic, the SARS outbreak was contained in July 2003.