First Sars victim says sorry

Times ^ | June 03, 2003 | Oliver Augus

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

CHINESE authorities have identified the patient who started the Sars epidemic that has killed at least 770 people around the world.

Huang Xingchu, 36, a cook who prepared wild animal dishes in a restaurant in Shenzhen on the Hong Kong border, survived the infection, but now lives in hiding for fear of retribution. Medical experts believe that the Sars virus was passed from the civet cat, a favourite on menus around Hong Kong, to human beings. A restaurant kitchen or livestock market are the most likely places where this happened. The infected cook lost his job and many friends because of Sars. The restaurant in which he worked was burnt down.

"I'm an ordinary peasant and for no good reason I got this disease," he said. "I will never be able to forget this."

The spread of the disease started on December 5, when Mr Huang developed a fever. A week later he still felt ill, so his family checked him into a hospital in Heyuan. After two days he was transferred to the Guangzhou military hospital, which he left on January 10. Nine medical workers at the hospital in Heyuan were infected, but none at the military hospital, where staff routinely wore masks.

Mr Huang said: "I am very sorry that the virus spread to Beijing and more than 30 countries, but I'm also afraid. I feel like an escaped prisoner. In the street I always wear a hat so that nobody recognises me. I don't want to be despised by everyone. Sars is not that frightening. I am a healthy person again. My biggest wish is that my life can resume its quietness."

[Reelect President Dubya]

Pull-eaze.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

And we have open borders for what reason? There's so many Chinese people here in San Francisco that have come from there illegally. You just know some brought this terrible disease and some are eating cats.

Ew.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

This creature is hardly a cat. It's more of a weasel.

[heleny]

The spread of the disease started on December 5, when Mr Huang developed a fever.

I thought China had SARS in November 2002. Besides, didn't they find the antibodies in other wild animal hunters/trappers who had not been sick recently?

[aristeides]

Shenzhen again.

Of course, if SARS comes from a Chinese bioweapons accident, they would be pushing alternate causation stories.

[aristeides]

Montrealer checked for SARS symptoms.

[aristeides]

Toronto's SARS deaths drop by one.

[Prince Charles]

The spread of the disease started on December 5, when Mr Huang developed a fever.

Local man may have died from SARS in January 2002, says China-based scientist

Are the Red Chinese still making it up as they go along?

[aristeides]

Nassau County reports 5th possible SARS case.

[PoisedWoman]

Stay out of Chinese restaurants. Except, when I lived there, there was a lovely little Chinese veggie restaurant in Chinatown somewhere....on street level, immaculate, and delicious. My acupuncturist, Dr. Joseph Ng, would send me over with notes in chinese to give to waiter ....sort of a prescription for certain mushrooms and other medicinal ingredients. Always yummy.

[Thorondir]

Looks like they have their diversionary scapegoat.

[IYAAYAS]

Well there are at least two possible cases of Toronto exports linked on this thread alone.

Mr. WHO lurker are you paying attention? Probably Dr. WHO....hahahahaaa ha

[riri]

My acupuncturist, Dr. Joseph Ng, would send me over with notes in chinese to give to waiter

That's what you think.

[cricket]

"I'm an ordinary peasant and for no good reason I got this disease," he said. "I will never be able to forget this."

Well, I hope he does not forget the reason he got SARS in the first place. . .hate to think he is still cooking civet cats. . .(who ate the rats. . .). . .the ones the peasants don't catch for food that is. . .

That said, he was really just a 'messenger'. . .

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Some things were not meant to be eaten, and this is why.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Here's a real picture. They're quite cute AND I'm a cat lover.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

the Ffumbe is a creature from cental Africa not china. These are not what the Chinese are eating.

By the way, I'm a dog lover.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

[Pagey]

The infected cook lost his job and many friends because of Sars. The restaurant in which he worked was burnt down. "My biggest wish is that my life can resume its quietness."

Oh yeah? Wait'll the Communist chinese gov't gets a hold of this guy,his days are limited to say the very least,even if he is all well and feeling good.Have they put his picture online yet?Has 60 Minutes lined up an interview yet?Surely both of these things will occur in the near future.