Survivors say SARS lesson mustn't be forgotten (3)

DREAM OF A SAFER WORLD

Experts said the SARS breakout in 2003 greatly improved China's medical system, resulting in more transparent handling of the country's first human infections of the H7N9 avian flu.

But many mysteries surrounding SARS, including its true host, remain unclear. It is not known why the disease suddenly stopped infecting people in June 2003.

"Now that 10 years have gone by, we still don't know much about the virus -- where did it come from? Why did it suddenly disappear? And more importantly, what will happen if it strikes again?" Jing said.

He said it was essential to reflect on the SARS outbreak in order to draw enough experience to tackle possible future large-scale epidemics.

"This is a lesson we learned in a very hard way, but many are still not vigilant. For one thing, many people don't know what to do in the event of an epidemic. Some tend to overreact, while others have no vigilance at all," Bian said.

Jing hopes his personal struggle with SARS can leave a legacy for the future. He and many other survivors have donated blood serum for making SARS vaccines, and some have agreed to give their bodies to medical researchers after death.

Jing said he felt a stronger sense of urgency after his granddaughter was born last year. Fearing he might fall and harm the baby, he could only hug the girl while sitting.

"When I saw her, I knew life had to go on. I hope she will grow up in a safer environment where people know how to tackle public health crises properly," he said.

The public must not forget the SARS scare, he said. "Otherwise, all our suffering will be in vain."

After reports of the H7N9 flu dominated newspapers and TV in March, Jing said he conducted a test to see how seriously the outbreak was being handled.

"On March 30, when rumors about the flu had already triggered public concerns, I took my pet birds onto a train to Baoding, my birthplace in Hebei Province."

A bird cage in hand, Jing waddled all the way onto the train without being stopped or questioned. "On April 4, I took a train back to Beijing, again without attracting any attention."

"I was ready to open the cage and set the birds free." Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Li Yahong, Lai Zhen and Li Wen also contributed to this story)

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