A seven-member team of experts from the World Health
Organization (WHO) and China's Ministry of? Health began their
investigation into the Anhui SARS cases on Thursday.
In Hefei, some of the team members visited SARS patient Song,
who is in isolation at a hospital affiliated with the Anhui Medical
College. Investigators spoke mask-to-mask with the 26-year-old
medical postgraduate.
On Thursday morning, the Anhui provincial government delivered a
report to the team on its overall efforts in SARS prevention and
treatment.
WHO epidemiologist Jeff Gilbert, an expert on influenza, said
the team was impressed with the positive attitude and confidence of
the local health workers. He added that it is clear that the local
government has exerted huge efforts to prevent the spread of
SARS.
Chinese team member Cao Wuchun said the local government has
done a great deal of work since the SARS cases appeared, and
currently the situation in the province is well under control.
The team, which arrived in Anhui
Wednesday night, plans to stay in the province for two days.
They will also help assess laboratory biosafety standards and
provide technical assistance and suggestions for the province's
SARS prevention efforts.
The Ministry of Health reports that Song's condition continues
to improve. So far, 39 of her close contacts have been released
from medical observation.
Meanwhile, back in Beijing other members of the joint team
visited the laboratory at the National Institute of Virology where
Song worked for a time, looking for clues to the source of the
infection.
So far, the Ministry of Health has reported four confirmed and
five suspected SARS cases on the mainland, including one patient
suspected of having SARS who died on April 19 in Anhui.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2004)