BEIJING Dec 25, 2009 About 300 survivors of a deadly outbreak of SARS in China in 2003 are now suffering from serious after-effects.  This is possibly due to aggressive hormone treatment to save their lives.  The most common complaints are hip problems due to bone thinning, depression and fibrosis of the lungs that makes breathing difficult.  China’s Ministry of Health did not comment immediately. Severe Acute Respiratory Disease, or SARS, was an unknown disease when it first struck in late 2002.  It was initially covered up by the Chinese government.  But it spread rapidly from South China to other cities and countries in 2003, causing public panic. Over 8,000 people came down with the disease, and 775 died. The last human case of SARS was in June 2003. On the positive side, the SARS experience has inspired a more transparent health reporting system in China and prompted better emergency preparedness.