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China takes steps to check disease

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE April 2. With China coming under the microscope of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as regards the ongoing and world-wide spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or "atypical pneumonia'', the Chinese authorities in Beijing have moved swiftly to reassure the international community about their increasing efforts to control the disease.

Although the Guangdong province in southern China and Hong Kong have been identified as the areas where the new disease was first identified, SARS has spread to many countries in East Asia, including Singapore, and beyond.

For the past several days, Singapore has led the way in East Asia in raising the level of popular awareness about this disease and about the means of combating it in the absence of a cure being evolved yet. According to the Chinese authorities, the WHO had, in consultation with them, determined that over 800 people were so far affected by SARS in China itself and that 34 among them were killed as a result.

Three of these deaths occurred in Beijing itself. While the Chinese health authorities would issue an "authoritative report'' on the disease later this week, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said that preventive measures were under way to protect the foreign nationals and native citizens in China.

The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it had posted a `bulletin' on the internet, a fast-track system that was widely being used in China today, in order to provide more information about SARS to the country's health officials and public alike.

Said to have been drafted by `experts', the `bulletin' was being projected as the sure means to control and `prevent' the spread of the disease.

The epidemic in Guangdong province had been brought under "effective control'' by now, the Chinese authorities said.

According to them, there were "no findings of SARS cases'' in China in places other than Guangdong province in the south, Shanxi province in the north and Beijing.

Despite the overall confidence being exuded by the Chinese authorities, it appeared that the country was bracing for a possible spin-off effect on various facets of the economy.

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