CHINA: THE U.N. WHO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DR.DAVID HEYMANN'S PRESS CONFERENCE CONFIRMS THAT CASES OF THE SARS VIRUS ARE ON THE DECREASE.

Record ID: 190204

  • Title: CHINA: THE U.N. WHO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DR.DAVID HEYMANN'S PRESS CONFERENCE CONFIRMS THAT CASES OF THE SARS VIRUS ARE ON THE DECREASE.
  • Date: 12th June 2003
  • Summary: (U1) BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 12, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES DR DAVID HEYMANN, CHINA'S VICE HEALTH MINISTER GAO QIANG AND OTHER OFFICIALS WALKING IN 0.06 2. MV: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES DR DAVID HEYMANN, CHINA'S VICE HEALTH MINISTER GAO QIANG SEATED AT PRESS CONFERENCE. 0.11 3. WS: PRESS CONFERENCE. 0.16 4. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES DR DAVID HEYMANN, CHINA'S VICE HEALTH MINISTER GAO QIANG SEATED AT TABLE. 0.21 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES DR DAVID HEYMANN SAYING: "We've seen graphs which have shown, from the time of identification to the time of the onset of the disease, (the duration) until identification by health authorities has decreased in each province in days from a maximum of 4 days down to less than one day (between onset of disease to detection of disease). At the same time we've seen the same trend from beginning and ending of tracing contacts of these patients and putting them under surveillance which is part of the answer as to why rapid decrease has occurred in China." 1.03 6. WS: PRESS CONFERENCE. 1.09 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEYMANN SAYING: "In summary, some of our concerns about the information coming from China have now been answered during this visit, and we look forward to the future to continue close and timely reporting of information through China and through the WHO system as relationships between provinces and the central government become more and more close." 1.37 8. MV: JOURNALISTS. 1.42 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEYMANN SAYING: "We still don't know exactly where SARS came from or how it transferred to human populations and we don't know if this disease is seasonal which will decrease this year and come back next year. Until we have a better understanding of this process, it will be very difficult to predict where it might occur next. Our hope is that this disease will not become an endemic disease for China like tuberculosis and malaria." 2.15 10. MV: JOURNALISTS. (2 SHOTS) 2.24 11. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEYMANN SAYING: "At the end of March, when we compared the case definition which have been used in Guangdong and provinces throughout China and those which have been used worldwide by WHO, we found that they were compatible, if anything the China case definition was more sensitive and would pick up more cases than the worldwide case definition being used." 2.50 12. SCU: CAMERA OPERATORS. 2.57 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEYMANN SAYING: "The first answer is, the travel recommendation will be lifted one day. The second answer is that the director-general will review the information on a regular basis and based on the criteria which I reviewed with you and other information which she seeks, she will make a decision. And that's all I can tell you." 3.22 14. WS: PRESS CONFERENCE. 3.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Reuters ID: LVA6GRKRZW9WDPV0VRB5JT0GEM57
  • Story Text: The top U.N. expert on infectious diseases has said he
    is impressed with China's work against SARS, but warned
    against complacency as the numbers of cases decrease in China.



    At a news conference in Beijing on Thursday (June 12),
    WHO executive director for communicable diseases Dr David
    Heymann said official data showed a rapid decrease of SARS
    numbers in China.

    "We've seen graphs which have shown at they time from
    identification and the time from the onset of the disease
    until identification by health authorities it has decreased in
    each province in days from a maximum of 4 days down to less
    than one day (between onset of disease to detection of
    disease). At the same time we've seen the same trend from
    beginning and ending of tracing contacts of these patients and
    putting them under surveillance which is part of the answer as
    to why rapid decrease has occurred in China," Heymann said.

    The top U.N. expert on infectious diseases arrived in
    Beijing on Wednesday (June 11) to investigate China's SARS
    outbreak and find some answers to questions that could stall
    the lifting of a WHO travel warning.

    Heymann, the World Health Organisation's executive
    director for communicable diseases, has been a leading sceptic
    of China's reported SARS caseload as the numbers have
    plummeted in recent weeks.

    After discussions with Chinese Health Ministry officials
    on Wednesday, Heymann said he was impressed by China's
    handling of the outbreak, adding he was hoping for timely
    reporting of information in the future.

    "In summary, some of our concerns about the information
    coming from China have now been answered during this visit,
    and we look forward to the future to continue close and timely
    reporting of information through China and through the WHO
    system as relationships between provinces and the central
    government become more and more close," he said.

    Beijing, the most infected city in the world, has reported
    no new SARS on six of the past eight days.

    It reported one more from the disease on Wednesday, but
    the Health Ministry said there were none elsewhere in China
    and no new deaths.

    But Heymann warned against complacency, saying it was
    difficult to predict further developments.

    "We still don't know exactly where SARS came from or how
    it transferred to human populations and we don't know if this
    disease is seasonal which will decrease this year and come
    back next year. Until we have a better understanding of this
    process, it will be very difficult to predict where it might
    occur next. Our hope is that this disease will not become an
    endemic disease for China like tuberculosis and malaria," he
    said.

    The WHO has expressed concern about China's failure to
    record how about half its patients caught the potentially
    deadly respiratory illness and to diagnose properly some
    milder cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

    At the news conference, Heymann said China was using a
    more sensitive case definition which would pick up more cases
    of SARS.

    "At the end of March, when we compared the case definition
    which have been used in Guangdong and provinces throughout
    China and those which have been used worldwide by WHO, we
    found that they were compatible, if anything the China case
    definition was more sensitive and would pick up more cases
    than the worldwide case definition being used," he said.

    Beijing has reported the world's highest number of SARS
    cases with more than 2,500 infections and nearly 200 deaths.

    Nationwide, the virus has infected more than 5,300.

    Beijing and its neighbours have met one criteria for
    lifting the WHO travel advisory -- reporting fewer than five
    new cases a day for nearly two weeks in a row.

    Heymann said WHO director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland
    would make the final decision whether to lift the advisory
    against travel to Beijing and four surrounding areas, Tianjin,
    Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Shanxi.

    "The first answer is, the travel recommendation will be
    lifted one day. The second answer is that the director-general
    will review the information on a regular basis and based on
    the criteria which I reviewed with you and other information
    which she seeks, she will make a decision. And that's all I
    can tell you," he said.

    The city, where some 500 SARS patients remain in hospital,
    is the only area yet to satisfy a WHO requirement of fewer
    than 60 in hospital, although the WHO has said it might
    consider bumping up that figure given the city's population of
    14 million.




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