Officials from the World Health Organization (WTO) said they were
"impressed" with the capacity of Chinese experts under biohazards
in the laboratory of the provincial disease control center of
Guangdong, south China.
Dr. Robert F. Breiman, head of the Program on Infectious Disease
and Vaccine Science of the Center for Health and Population
Research, said they visited the Guangdong center in the morning to
evaluate the capacity of the Chinese experts there.
Breiman is one of the five-member WHO team who arrived here
Thursday to study the situation of SARS
(severe acute respiratory syndrome), or atypical pneumonia, in
Guangdong.
Upon arrival, they attended a meeting with some 60 medical
officials and experts, and heard reports on the control of the
epidemic in the province, Breiman told Xinhua in an interview.
He
said they also visited the People's Hospital of Foshan City Friday
afternoon, where they talked with two SARS patients who have been
out of danger and are recovering.
Local experts and departments concerned have provided the WHO
officials a lot of information and data, but Breiman said they need
to learn more.
At
the laboratory, the WHO officials saw stored specimens, which they
believe would be helpful for getting to know the real root of
virus.
"It seems that Guangdong's SARS incidence is decreasing, and we
want to know why," said Breiman.
"Hong Kong, Canada and Singapore are watching Guangdong, expecting
it could give the crystal ball," he said.
"There is risk, but the risk is not tremendous enough to arouse the
public," he said, referring to the situation in Guangzhou.
Breiman said that the number of SARS patients is very small,
comparing with the city's population of 10.5 million.
He
encouraged cooperation between local doctors, who have gained much
experience in treating hundreds of SARS patients, and their
overseas colleagues for faster progress in treatment and research
of the epidemic.
On
Saturday, the WHO official are scheduled to visit a laboratory in
the Sun Yatsen University and the Guangdong Provincial People's
Hospital.
Breiman said, the WHO officials will visit more laboratories and
hospitals and talk with local experts, in the hope that what they
learn during the trip could be helpful for studies on SARS by
experts of other countries.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)