China Sharply Raises Its SARS Infections, Deaths

Reuters ^

[per loin]

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, under fire at home and abroad for failing to disclose the extent of its SARS (news - web sites) infections, sharply raised its number of cases on Sunday to 1,807 from 1,512 and revealed scores of new infections in Beijing.

The bulk of the new cases came in the capital, where the number of infections was estimated at an alarming 339, and the city had another 402 suspected case as of April 18, China's Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang said in a statement.

Up until Sunday, officials had reported only 37 infections in Beijing, despite estimates from Chinese doctors and World Health Organization (news - web sites) experts of a far higher toll.

There was no immediate explanation as to why the number of new cases in Beijing was more than the number of new cases for all of China.

Gao said 79 people had died of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) nationwide in China, up from the previously reported 67, since the virus emerged in the southern province of Guangdong in November. It leapt to Hong Kong in late February and spread around the world.

[Domestic Church]

"There was no immediate explanation as to why the number of new cases in Beijing was more than the number of new cases for all of China."

And who's to say Bejing's numbers aren't trimmed too. Perhaps we better just double even their best numbers to get a real ballpark figure.

[ET(end tyranny)]

And why is the US only reporting suspected cases? No deaths? No recoveries? What's up with that?

WHO suspects China of 'covering up' cases. Is the US doing the same? With 197 cases and NO deaths?? Amazing.

[Domestic Church]

The cases here were lowered (many false cases) when they went with W.H.O. classification at the end of last week. Friday's total was 35 I think.

I expect this will change over the next 2 weeks as cases tied to Canadian SARS start cropping up.

I trust the CDC more than W.H.O. The key here is to isolate and quarantine every single case...and equip all ER staff across the nation with NG95 masks and gloves before they are exposed.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Not according to the CDC site I looked at. 51 cases and 2 are health care workers, as of 3/26. Considering that, that was nearly a month ago, I suspect the numbers are higher. jmo

Outbreak SARS CDC

[libtoken]

Here is a link to the AFP story on the Chinese revealations and their cancellation of the May Day holiday:

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/030420/1/3a7ax.html

I am not sure that the Chinese are yet reporting the full extent of cases (as the disease appears to have originated there), but it may be a start.

Also, BBC radio now reports that the Chinese have had their health minister and the minister of Beijing removed (as the obligatory scapegoats).

[goldstategop]

Like I said, SARS may do more to topple Communism in China than the pro-democracy movement in Tianamen Square ever did. The fact they had to cancel the obligatory May Day Commie parade is a telling sign. This could be the calm before the storm.

[aristeides]

China sacks health minister, Beijing official -Xinhua.

[mewzilla]

Guess all those ambulances driving sick SARS patients around the city finally ran out of gas.

[per loin]

The drivers got sick.

[not-an-ostrich]

What is a NG95 mask?

[Free Vulcan]

Still trust the Chinese? Hard for old communists to break old habits I guess.