The Hindu : Fear over SARS stalks more countries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003

International

International

Fear over SARS stalks more countries

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE APRIL 19. A `crisis of fear' over the spread of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) began to stalk several countries in Asia, even as the new disease claimed more lives today.

In Hong Kong alone, 12 more deaths were reported by officials, and this took the toll there to 81. While this total tally is the highest for any country or territory so far, today's death toll in Hong Kong is also the worst news on any single day on this creeping front of a globalised danger.

To combat the disease firmly, the Hong Kong authorities today initiated a mass clean-up campaign across the territory. Involving the participation of the people at all levels, this campaign has been formulated at the official level in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, while China has already expressed its willingness to cooperate with Hong Kong in any anti-SARS campaign.

In China, where the disease first occurred as far back as in November last year when it was characterised as an "atypical pneumonia", the authorities put the total death toll at 67.

However, the World Health Organisation has not yet stated whether it is satisfied with the level of cooperation from the Chinese authorities with regard to the SARS scene in China's military hospitals. In Singapore, where the SARS outbreak has already upset some economic calculations for the year besides claiming several lives, the Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, said the Government's top priority was to combat the spread of the disease in the City-State so that its economy too could be nursed back to robust health.

Mr. Goh said the task on hand was to contain SARS so that the "crisis of fear" among the people could also be dissipated while a new ministerial team would oversee steps to combat the disease.

A particularly worrisome aspect in Singapore is that most SARS transmissions have occurred in hospitals themselves despite stringent control measures being taken there.While Singapore has intensified the application of anti-SARS measures at airports and transportation points, the City-State is considering the issuance of SARS screening certificates for travellers leaving the country. Some form of fines for those who might fail to observe the anti-SARS measures within the City-State might also be considered. On a pan-regional basis, the Association of South-East Asian Nations is planning to hold a meeting at a high political level to put their heads together to face the escalating crisis.

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