It was definitely controllable after it left China, as we can see from the fact that countries such as South Korea have managed to control it. European countri

It was definitely controllable after it left China, as we can see from the fact that countries such as South Korea have managed to control it. European countries were completely unprepared for it, despite the fact that SARS should have been a warning call. (I assume that's why South Korea was ready for it.) It was partially a cultural failure -- I know several Chinese students living in Europe who thought the European reaction was insane -- and partially a government failure. European government should have started reacting months ago stockpiling supplies such as masks and tests. A widespread testing regime should have been in place. Travel back and forth to Italy should have been curtailed much earlier, rather than people traipsing back and forth on holiday, and people who did travel should have been tracked as much as possible.