Health Minister Zhang Wenkang, Vice Health
Minister Ma Xiaowei, Director Qi Xiaoqiu of the Disease
Control Dept. of the Ministry of Health, and Director Li
Liming of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, met the press and answered questions from
Chinese and overseas correspondents in Beijing on April 3 on
the epidemic in China of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) also referred to as atypical pneumonia.
Q: Since the earliest SARS cases
appeared three to four months ago, why do the Chinese media
cover so little about the disease? And why was the relevant
information from Chinas authorities released so late?
Zhang Wenkang: As atypical
pneumonia is not in the lists stipulated in
Chinas Prevention and Control Law of Epidemics, we
have to collect enough information about and appraisal of
the epidemic to establish a new epidemic reporting method
and regulation. In addition, the disease was only found in
several provinces of China. According to our law, it should
be reported by local authorities. Actually, Guangdong
Province and Guangzhou City, the capital of the province,
held a press conference on the epidemic in February and
briefed the media about the disease situation. Around the
middle of February, we notified the country about the SARS
epidemic found in Guangdong. We then decided that monthly
reports on disease control would be made later throughout
the country.
China has been reporting daily to
WHO on the latest SARS situation as of April 1, in line with
international practice.
Q: How does
the Chinese government comment on Taiwans cooperation
with WHO in SARS control? Will Chinas mainland assist
Taiwan in SARS control and prevention?
Zhang Wenkang: The Chinese central
government and people from Chinas mainland are always
concerned for the health and life of our Taiwan compatriots.
With close attention to SARS cases found in Taiwan, we are
willing to render any possible support for them and are
willing to join hands with related international
organizations to help them. In the meantime, we are ready to
collaborate with medical experts from Taiwan in this regard.
The cross-Straits medical exchanges are
unblocked and the saying that Taiwan has no access to
relevant information on the epidemic, from the Chinese
mainland, is wrong. Each year several hundred or several
thousand medical experts from both sides of the Straits
conduct exchanges. The remark from the Taiwan authority that
we disregard the health of Taiwan compatriots is not true.
It is imperative for both sides of the Straits to step up
cooperation, take measures and effectively bring the
epidemic under control.
We hope that the
Taiwan authority wont complicate the issue
deliberately, make some baseless, irresponsible remarks, or
try to join WHO, which only accepts members with
sovereignty, under the cover of human rights and under the
excuse of SARS. All their efforts in this aspect are not
wise and will not bare any good fruit.
Q: Mr. Minister, you said just now
that traveling in China is very safe. But, WHO has already
warned people around the world not to go to HK and southern
China. Could you please clear up whether tourists currently
are free to travel to HK and southern China?
Zhang Wenkang: Chinese Ministry of
Health has been keeping close contact with WHO on the
epidemic of atypical pneumonia (SARS). By now,
the epidemic situation of SARS in parts of China has been
brought under effective control. At the same time, we have
gained precious experience in treatment and prevention of
the disease.
WHO is to make its solutions and
suggestions according to objective and actual situations.
For instance, WHO has just denied the suggestion of listing
Beijing as epidemic-stricken area.
In regard
to the reasons why WHO made the above solution, experts from
WHO are now working in Beijing. They will report to WHO if
staying in Beijing is safe. As they dont know the
epidemic situation in Guangdong, WHO announced Guangdong to
be epidemic-stricken area. Now, experts from WHO have
arrived in Guangdong, starting the second phase of
cooperation with China on the issue. I believe when they
find out the situation there, WHO is going to reconsider
their suggestions.
Q: Some foreign
media coverage has said the statistics concerning the
epidemic announced by the Chinese government yesterday shows
the disease in China, especially in Guangdong, to be
spreading rapidly. What would your comment be on that?
Zhang Wenkang: Some foreign media
have said that without basis. According to the report made
by the health department of Guangdong provincial government,
a total number of 361 SARS cases were reported in Guangdong
in March, reduced by 47.5 percent compared with February. Of
these, 145 cases occurred in the first ten days of March,
128 in the second ten days, and 88 in the last ten days. A
total of 507 cases were discharged from hospital, a
reduction of 18 over February. Numbers of the cases have
been declining continuously since the start of April.
Therefore, I dont know how they could make this
conclusion.
Q: In the early phase of
SARS, WHO asked to send experts to Guangdong Province to
carry out on-the-spot investigations. Just now you mentioned
that the Chinese central government also sent quite a lot of
experts to the province to carry out investigations. Why did
WHO have to wait such a long time to go there?
Zhang Wenkang: China has maintained
good relations and cooperation with WHO especially in the
prevention and cure of SARS. In February this year, WHO
asked to carry out investigations on SARS in China. The
Chinese government agreed and received WHO experts in
Beijing in late February. Since then, WHO has sent three
groups of experts at different times to Beijing and had a
comprehensive grasp of the work conducted by the Chinese
government in the clinical diagnosis, cure and cause of
SARS. They have carefully discussed related technological
problems with Chinese experts. WHO experts had a
comparatively high opinion and positive assessment of the
work conducted by the Chinese government on the prevention
of the illness. They express their appreciation for Chinese
experts in the study of SARS and suggested further
cooperation in the clinical diagnosis, epidemiology and
pathogen.
The Chinese government has given
active support to the work. Most members of the first
research group are experts in epidemiology. The Ministry of
Health invited experts in more subjects to the third group
for the purpose of wider research and cooperation. Both
sides agreed that the cooperation would proceed by stages.
The cooperation started in Beijing and would extend to
Guangdong in the light of requirements. Now the first
phases task has been finished in Beijing. From now on,
they will work in Guangdong Province. WHO welcomes China to
become a member of the global networks of virology and
epidimilogy established by WHO for SARS. The Ministry of
Health has clearly expressed that China will link its
network with international ones.
I also
suggested to the director of WHOs west pacific region
that an international seminar be held in Hong Kong where
experts will be called together to summarize the work of the
first stage and propose new plans for the future. The
director has adopted my suggestion and the seminar will be
held soon.
Q: Can you give some
suggestions and guidance, Mr Li, since SARS is spread in
some other places of the world? What kinds of work should
they do?
Li Liming: Recently, a
package of suggestions and plans for the prevention of SARS
has been published on Chinas CDC website. First, aimed
at the characteristics of SARS, i.e. special incidence
groups and ways of spreading SARS, the prevention work will
be conducted in accordance with the respiratory system
disease. Second, preventive measures should be taken to
prevent infection inside hospitals. Third, the training of
medical staff will be strengthened to have a better
understanding of the characteristics of SARS in order to
conduct work with a clear aim.
Zhang Wenkang:
After several months of effort by the central government and
experts of Guangdong Province, China has gained a great deal
of experience in the diagnosis, cure and prevention of SARS.
The experiences have been collected in book form, including
the diseases diagnosis standards, cure plans, hospital
discharge reference standards, hospital disinfecting and
isolation working guidance, disinfecting methods for public
places, and preventive measures for communities. The English
edition will come out soon and it will be provided for WHO
also soon.
Q: In recent weeks,
Beijing has also found cases of atypical
pneumonia. You were asked yesterday on a program of
Chinas Central Television (CCTV) What on earth
atypical pneumonia is? Why didnt
Beijing learn lessons from Guangdong? It will be conducive
to the prevention of the disease if you let the public know
about the disease. During your briefing, you said there are
already prevention measures for the disease. It can be
cured. Do you mean it can be cured through medicines or
cured by the patients own immune system?
Zhang Wenkang: The cases reported in
Beijing are not primary cases. They are imported cases. That
is to say a patient who infected the disease outside Beijing
but sought treatment in Beijing. He was diagnosed with
atypical pneumonia or SARS. His parents and
several relatives companying him to Beijing contracted the
disease. Several doctors who treated him also contracted the
disease. Beijing Municipal Health Department has learned
experiences and lessens from Guangdong and they have soon
taken proper isolation treatment for this patient and other
patients who were infected by him as well as those who had
contact with him but havent yet developed symptoms.
Beijing has also received a patient from Hong Kong. It is
because Hong Kong has informed us in time of the epidemic
situation, we had taken isolationist measures as soon as the
patient arrived in Beijing. Because Beijing has learned
lessons from Guangdong, Beijing has effectively controlled
its imported cases and a few cases caused by these imported
cases. Therefore, it hasnt spread out into society.
Because the cause of the atypical pneumonia has
not been identified, currently there are no typical and
especially effective medicines to treat the disease.
However, according to the experiences of
Guangdong, we have taken positive treatment in order to
increase patients immune system. The patients can be
cured. At present, the majority of the patients have
recovered and been discharged from hospital. According to
the experience of Guangdong, the combination of western and
Chinese traditional medicines has a better curative effect.
Q: If the Ministry of Health was able
to inform earlier the health departments of Hong Kong on
information concerning the disease including some data,
could the health departments of Hong Kong have better
prevented the disease?
Zhang
Wenkang: the Ministry of Health had briefed Hong Kong health
authorities on the experience and measures taken by
Guangdong in prevention of the atypical pneumonia through
various channels. The Hong Kong authorities had adopted
effective measures to counter the disease. However, since
the cause of this epidemic disease has not been identified,
it has its own process of development. According to the
experiences of Guangdong, it may have a three-week peak
incubation period and then the cases declined gradually
because of adopting proper measures. We wish and also
believe that Hong Kong is able to control the spread of SARS
as soon as possible. We will further cooperate with Hong
Kong in epidemiology, clinical treatment and aetiology.
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region Tung Chee-hwa suggested Hong Kong to
cooperate with Guangdong. We agreed. We are now discussing
the details of cooperation with Hong Kong at a working
level. We will further our cooperation under the Basic Law
of Hong Kong.
Q: China is now
exporting SARS. Has China given any help to other countries?
If so, through which channel, WHO or bilaterally? Has China
briefed other governments on related information including
prevention and treatment?
Zhang
Wenkang: Guangdong first discovered and reported SARS cases,
but this doesnt mean that Guangdong exported this
disease just as we do not consider that AIDS originated in
the United States for it was first discovered and reported
there. At present, the world should make a joint effort in
discovering the pathogen of the epidemic and its
distribution at a possible earlier date so as to curb the
disease effectively.
Q: Just now you
said that Chinas health department had earlier
provided the information to Hong Kongs health
authority through various channels, but the fact is now that
the epidemic has spread to many countries in the world, with
some 2,000 people affected. This means either the mainland
reported the information in an inappropriate way or the Hong
Kong side failed to take appropriate prevention measures
after receiving the warning from the mainland. Who do you
think should take the responsibility? If the world was
informed of the epidemic earlier in a more effective way, it
should have been under more effective control. Whats
your opinion?
Zhang Wenkang: SARS
cases have been discovered and reported in some places in
China, Guangdong and Hong Kong in particular. Such cases
have also been reported in some other countries and regions.
Some of the patients in those countries and regions had been
to Guangdong and Hong Kong, but some others had not. Hence
its not reasonable to say that the Chinese mainland or
Hong Kong exported the disease.
So far, we
have not found the exact origin of this difficult and
complicated disease. It is after a period of time and after
suffering considerable difficulty that Guangdong accumulated
experience in diagnosing, treating and preventing SARS. I
believe it is not possible for Hong Kong or any other region
to command the methods of preventing and treating the
epidemic just depending on the knowledge of a few health
officials. The effective control depends on the knowledge
and cooperation of the public, medical personnel and the
patients.
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