Home > Progress of the SARS outbreak
The following is an ongoing timeline of events surrounding the 2002–2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
On November 16, 2002 an outbreak of what is believed to be severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) began in the Guangdong province of China, which borders on Hong Kong. The first case of infection was speculated to be a farmer in Foshan County . The People's Republic of China (PRC) notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about this outbreak on February 10, reporting 305 cases including 5 deaths; it was later reported that the outbreak in Guangdong had peaked in mid-February, but that appears to be false, as later 806 infections and 34 deaths were reported.
Early in the epidemic, the PRC discouraged its press from reporting on SARS and lagged in reporting the situation to the World Health Organization, delaying the initial report. Initially, it did not provide information for Chinese provinces other than Guangdong, the province where the disease is believed to have originated. [1]
For example, A WHO team that travelled to Beijing was not allowed to visit the Guangdong province for several weeks. This resulted in international criticism which seemed to have caused a change in government policy in early April. The PRC Health Minister has apologized for early delays in reporting and has been holding regular press conferences. The PRC government appears to have issued directives that the press should not refrain from stating bad news and that government officials should accept media supervision.
On February 21, a Chinese doctor who had treated cases in Guangdong checked into the Hong Kong hotel Metropole and infected up to twelve other guests there. He was admitted to the Hong Kong Kwong Wah Hospital and died on March 4. A 27-years-old infected man who stayed in Metropole and on the same floor with the Chinese doctor was admitted to Prince of Wales HospitalPrince of Wales Hospital , located in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, is a public hospital and the teaching hospital of the Medical Faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Opening in 1984, Prince of Wales Hospital provides about 1,360 hospital beds and 24 hou. A large number of hospital workers were infected while treating him. About 80% of the Hong Kong cases have been traced back to this doctor.
In late February, the American businessman Johnny Chen who lived in ShanghaiAlternate meanings: See Shanghai (disambiguation Shanghai ( Chinese: , pinyin: shang hi; Shanghainese IPA: /z h/) is China's largest city and is situated on the banks of the Chang Jiang delta. In Chinese, Shanghai's abbreviations are H ( or ) and Shen . travelled via Hong Kong, where he stayed in the Metropole Hotel, to HanoiHanoi ( Vietnamese: Ha Ni; Chinese: ), estimated population 3,500,800 ( 1997), is the capital of Vietnam. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Manufactures include machine tools, plywood, textiles, chemicals, and handicrafts. Hanoi beca, VietnamThe Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. It borders China, Laos, Cambodia, and the Gulf of Tonkin. Cng Hoa Xa Hi Ch Nghia Vit Nam ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Dc lp, t do, hnh phuc (Independence, Liberty, Happiness Off. There he fell ill and was admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital on February 26February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 308 days remaining, 309 in leap years. Events 747 BC Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy's Nabonassar Era. 1266 Battle of Benevento: French forces, under Charles of Anjou, overcome a combi. After the disease was transmitted to a number of hospital workers there, he was returned to Hong Kong where he died on March 14March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years). There are 292 days remaining. Events 1489 The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. 1492 Queen Isabella of Castille ordered her 150 000 Jewish.
WHO doctorDoctor means teacher in Latin. It has been used continuously as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread to the Americas, former European colonies, and is now prevalent i Carlo Urbani, who was based in Hanoi, noticed the outbreak among hospital workers there and first identified SARS. He later died of the disease on March 29.
Almost all of those infected to date have been either medical staff or family members of people who have fallen ill. It is believed that all affected medical staff were not using respiratory precautions , a safety protocol that should fully protect medical workers, at the time of exposure. The various cases around the world are directly or indirectly traceable to people who have recently visited Asia.
