During the SARS epidemic in 2003 when they finally admitted to it, and then were searching for the source, suddenly serving chopsticks were being introduced in many/most restaurants. Every place was using them.
Oh, also, they started covering the tables with plastic sheaths so they could just wrap the sheath (along the with the spit out bones, etc.) take it away, and re-line the table, without the necessity of wiping down the tablecloth with a germ-soaked rag.
By June or July, after the crisis passed, those "sanitary measures" quickly disappeared. The only one that still seems to stick is this one: at the height of the crisis when they still weren't sure how it was happening, they thought maybe it was being spread through the drainage system in apartment buildings, so they ordered all hotels to close the drains in hotel rooms.
To this day, if you go to any hotel in China, you'll find a plugged drain in the sink after the cleaning lady leaves.
Ah, the SARS days.......