Chinese Minister of Health Zhang Wenkang held a press conference
Thursday afternoon in Beijing, briefing journalists from home and
abroad on the conditions of SARS in China and the efforts being
taken to control and prevent the spread of the disease.
From the beginning of 2003 when atypical pneumonia was found to
March 31, a total number of 1,190 cases were reported. Among them
1,153 were from Guangdong, 12 from Beijing, 11 from Guangxi, 7 from
Hunan, 4 from Shanxi and 3 from Sichuan. Among all these cases 934
or 78 percent have recovered and been discharged from hospital: 911
from Guangdong, 1 from Beijing, 8 from Guangxi and all cases from
Hunan(7), Shanxi(4) and Sichuan(3). There have been 46 fatalities
in total: 40 from Guangdong, 3 from Beijing and 3 from Guangxi.
From March 1 to March 31, a total number of 361 cases were reported
in Guangdong, a reduction of 47.5 percent compared with February.
Reports in March have also declined consistently over time: 145 in
the first ten days, 128 in the second ten days and 88 in the last
11 days. 507 cases were discharged from hospital, an increase of
133 over February and 9 died, a reduction of 18 over February.
The cases reported in Beijing are imported cases. They are patients
who either reside outside but sought treatment in Beijing or
developed symptoms in Beijing after getting infected outside. Cases
in Guangxi, Sichuan and Hunan were found after an atypical
pneumonia surveillance system was established and through
retrospective review used a newly developed case definition. Thanks
to timely control measures, no local transmission has taken place
and no primary case has been found in these places.
According to the epidemiological and clinical analysis, this
epidemic has the following characteristics:
1.
The period of onset is winter and spring when people are more
susceptible to respiratory diseases.
2.
Clinical symptoms of the cases are sustained fever and dry cough. A
few cases have breathing difficulties. The symptoms, signs and lab
testing results of the cases are different from those of typical
pneumonia.
3.
It is mainly transmitted by air droplet with close distance.
4.
Atypical pneumonia can be prevented and cured. The majority of the
cases have recovered and been discharged from hospital.
The central committee of the CPC and the State Council are very
concerned about it and have paid close attention to this epidemic.
Instructions have been given many times to take effective measures
to control the spread of the disease. A steering committee chaired
by the Minister of Health has been established to guide the
prevention and control of atypical pneumonia. An interministerial
meeting system led by the Deputy Secretary General of the State
Council has also been established to coordinate and solve the
problem. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has also paid close attention
to the outbreak in Guangdong. Three ministerial visits were paid to
the province to guide the work. Three national expert teams were
sent there to work with local experts. "Notice to Strengthen the
Control of Respiratory Diseases in Spring" was issued by the MOH to
all local health administrative departments. Thematic meetings were
held to organize the work and active surveillance and prevention
were conducted. CPC Guangdong Committee and Guangdong Provincial
Government summoned all medical service capacities to save lives
and ensures that each and every patient is treated timely and
appropriately. A large amount of epidemiological study, clinical
diagnosis, field investigation and sampling, laboratory testing,
sterilization and isolation work have also been carried out and
rich experience been accumulated. After painstaking efforts by the
central and local health workers, the number of new cases has
declined and recoveries have increased. The number of fatalities
has been reduced and the epidemic has been put under control.
People live and work normally. Society is stable and travel is
safe.
After the outbreak of the epidemic, China has cooperated
effectively with WHO. Three WHO expert teams were invited to China
to discuss etiology, diagnosis and control measures with Chinese
experts. WHO gives full recognition to the work done by the Chinese
health authorities and experts.
(China.org.cn April 3, 2003)