The SARS epidemic was experienced across Chinese mainland in three
stages, according to Gao Qiang, vice minister of health, who
addressed a press conference in Beijing Friday.
At
the beginning of this year, some of the provinces in China were hit
by SARS. From January to March, the epidemic was concentrated in
Guangdong Province. By the end of March, the cumulative number of
clinically confirmed cases was 1,190, among which 1,153 cases, or
97 percent were in Guangdong.
In
April, the epidemic spread to other provinces and was particularly
serious in Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Tianjin. By
the end of April, the cumulative number of confirmed cases was
3,460, among which 3,368 cases, or 97.3 percent were from the five
provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in north China and
Guangdong Province.
In
May, the epidemic leveled off and new cases started to decline. In
early May, the daily average of new cases was 151; 45 and 14 by mid
and late May, separately, showing that SARS started to be
effectively controlled.
A
total of 5,325 confirmed cases were reported by May 29, among which
5,153, or 96.8 percent were from Guangdong, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner
Mongolia, Hebei and Tianjin. A total of 3,121 patients, or 58.6
percent recovered and were discharged from hospital. There were 327
deaths and the mortality rate was 6.1 percent. Currently 1,877 SARS
patients are still receiving treatment in hospitals.
(China.org.cn May 30, 2003)