Feature:Nowhere to Find China's First SARS Infected

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Feature:Nowhere to Find China's First SARS Infected

Looking like a scene in a movie, all hopes have been focused upon ferreting out the first SARS infected in a dramatic way and then trace the origin of SARS virus. Although SARS first floated up in Foshan, it didn't spread out there. Huang Xingchu, the first reported SARS case, has naturally become an important clue to this mysterious disease. However, he lost the sight from the horizon.

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Looking like a scene in a movie, all hopes have been focused upon ferreting out the first SARS infected in a dramatic way and then trace the origin of SARS virus. Although Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) first floated up in Foshan, it didn't spread out there. Huang Xingchu, the first reported SARS case, has naturally become an important clue to this mysterious disease. However, he lost the sight from the horizon.

Heyuan Center for Disease Control & Prevention Hopes to Find Huang Xingchu

"We have been looking for him too, while we don't know his whereabouts after he was discharged from hospital." Said Mr. Fu Aifeng, deputy head with Heyuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, denying that Huang Xingchu is now under the center's protection. According to Huang's own statement, he worked at a game restaurant. Some experts from WHO therefore held that SARS virus was closely related to wildlife. Such a view almost became the verdict in the early stage when SARS broke out in Guangdong Province and judged by the fact that chefs made up the majority of SARS patients in Heyuan. However, among the SARS patients later reported in Guangdong their occupations had nothing to do with the wildlife. Mr. Fu Aifeng also acknowledged, "We thought so. But now it seems that the view is short of sufficient evidence."

Heyuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention hopes to find Huang Xingchu. "We are keeping in touch with Huang's family so as to get to know his whereabouts. From the perspective of epidemiology or whatsoever, it is very important to find him. He'd better have further consultation with doctors." "Besides, we have to be responsible for Shenzhen. For instance, which restaurant has Huang Xingchu ever worked in? Is there anyone else who's contracted SARS but did not exhibit the symptoms?"

"We have nowhere to find him now. We neglected the importance, but when we realized it, he disappeared."

"Mysterious Disease" Brought about Pressure to Patients

In regard to Huang Xingchu's disappearance, Mr. Fu Aifeng gave a relatively convincible account: due to this mysterious disease, Huang's whole family was isolated in the countryside. As a matter of fact, no one would like to let others know. "Since contracting SARS, the patient has to bear huge social pressure. This calls for understanding of the society."

"We will make an investigation of the patients in respect of epidemiology." And so, "everybody is looking for Huang Xingchu." By April 30 when Heyuan's last SARS patient was cured and discharged from hospital, Heyuan had a total of 19 SARS cases, including 9 medical workers while no death. On May 2, Heyuan's last suspected case was ruled out. "Up to now there hasn't been any SARS patient for a week in Heyuan," said Mr. Fu Aifeng with gratification. Although nearly half a year has passed since the first report of the SARS case, the world has so far witnessed no progress concerning the origin of the SARS virus. Even if Huang Xingchu were found, no problem would be solved in any practical sense, because nobody has been infected except the medical workers.

How on Earth Are People Infected with SARS Virus?

In an interview, a staff member of Guandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention said, "All agencies for disease control and prevention have been working deep into the night. All others except those engaged in disease control and prevention have been out for investigation, but no advancement has yet been made." "We still have no idea about what kind of virus it is, how it infects people and where it comes from." "Experts from WHO are also here together with us. Maybe we will find the answer soon, maybe not forever."

There are too many doubts as to the outspread of SARS in China. Academician Zhong Nanshan pointed out especially on TV that 96 percent of the SARS patients in the Chinese mainland didn't come into contact with SARS infection. In other words, unlike other countries and regions such as Hong Kong and Singapore where there are infectious chains, the majority of Chinese SARS patients caught the virus in an unaccountable way. There were no intimate contacts between patients. Moreover, patients are concentrated in Guangdong and Beijing.

It is not imposable that diseases emerge in cities, considering cities have dense population and henceforth virus spreads fast there. The spread of SARS depends on whether it is ventilated. Before we get a clear understanding of the disease, it is still too early to jump to the conclusion about the SARS in China.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen

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