The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Executive Director for
Communicable Diseases David Heymann has praised the Chinese
mainland for having guaranteed responsible reporting of severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Heymann made the positive comment Monday at a news conference after
winding up his one-day trip to Hong Kong.
"China made very well reporting. We believe that China will be
reporting much more important diseases. We are, and I am, sure that
China will be working very closely with the WHO. This is the
guarantee we had last week in Beijing.
"There is no reason that they (countries) have to report anywhere,
but a good world citizen reports any disease that may spread to
another country. We anticipate that as we move through the 21st
century, countries will take on more of a responsibility of
reporting, including China, including others," Heymann said.
Commenting on the credibility of the Chinese mainland's reported
fatality rate of SARS patients, Heymann remarked that dueto the
fact that the Chinese mainland SARS patients are predominantly in
the younger age groups there, the overall fatality rate tending to
be lower there is of no surprise.
"The overall case fatality is an average. In Hong Kong, its about
15 percent; on the Chinese mainland, the overall is about 5.7 or 6
percent. If you look at the age of patients in China, it appears
that the people in China are in a younger age groups.
"If you look at the case fatality rate of SARS, you must look at an
average of different age groups. And from Singapore and HongKong,
we know that the case fatality and people under 25 years of age is
less than 1 percent.
"Between 25 and 65, it varies between 5 percent and 15 percent;and
over 65, especially with people of preexisting (medical)
conditions, it can be as high as 50 percent," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2003)
