Shanghai's SARS Reporting System Sound: WHO Officials

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Shanghai's SARS Reporting System Sound: WHO Officials

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The six-member World Health Organization (WHO) team to Shanghai has found that the system for reporting cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was, in general, sound, WHO officials said at a press conference Monday afternoon.

But the WHO experts also cautioned the system of the city coul d"potentially be overwhelmed in the event of a surge of cases."

On Monday the WHO experts met with officials of the Ministry of Health to share their findings on the SARS situation in Shanghai, following a five-day visit there starting April 21.

Shanghai currently has two diagnosed cases and 12 suspect cases. "It is a low number" in such a big city like Shanghai, James Maguire, a WHO expert who had been in Shanghai, said.

Daniel Chin, another expert who was also among the team to Shanghai, however noted that of two diagnosed cases, one was a local transmission, indicating Shanghai should be alert at the epidemic, considering its 16 million residents, a large floating population, considerable traffic in and out of the city,

The experts "did not find evidence of systematic underreporting," a conclusion based upon examination of the city's case data and random visits to 10 hospitals, clinics, and district and municipal disease control centers.

The experts agreed that Shanghai's system for investigating, reporting, contract tracing and management was found in general tobe sound, while they provided suggestions for improvement.

In Beijing, WHO experts continued to work with local health and city officials on the SARS surveillance system. It said the adoption of a new case definition by the Ministry of Health has probably contributed in part to the rise in suspect cases.

Beijing has reported 1199 diagnosed SARS cases, and 1275 suspect cases as of Monday.

Referring China's daily reporting system on SARS developments nationwide, Henk Bekedam, WHO's representative in China, said it was important, but information reported should be well explained and analyzed for a better understanding of the public.

"The focus of attention is now Beijing and western China," Bekedam, who was presiding the conference, said. Alan Schnur, a Shanghai team member, said the WHO was considering a tour to China's western regions.

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