What was China thinking?

M©+square SG

Scientists may have identified the SARS virus which has killed more than 90 people worldwide, says the head of the World Health Organisation.

WHO secretary-general Gro Harlem Brundtland said on Sunday that laboratory tests indicated the virus behind Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) belonged to the corona family that also causes the common cold.

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"If we are lucky now and we have found the right virus, which the laboratories seem now more and more to feel they have - the type of corona virus..."

"So hopefully this intense effort will pay off," said Ms Brundtland, who is visiting India.

She added however that she had no idea how long it would take to control the outbreak.

Scientists have been struggling to identify the virus as a first crucial step towards trying to control its spread.

She said international cooperation was needed to fight SARS, adding that China, where the outbreak started late last year, should have shared information
much earlier.

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The Chinese moves toward openness come after foreign criticism of the communist government's reluctance to release information about SARS.

http://www.circleofasia.com/News.asp?nID=20

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It was known that SARS virus struck a part of Mainland China years ago. And the authority had hid this truth from the public.

Every 10 years or so, a pandemic spreads out from China and surrounding countries. The 'Asian flu' of 1957 claimed 98 000 lives worldwide, and the 'Hong Kong flu' of 1968 an additional 45 000 lives.

What were they thinking???
Did they have the intention of hiding the truth?
Or was it just coincidental? Virus re-mutation?

EXCO SG

The situation just gives me an impression that China is being irresponsible. They just don’t seem to care about the virus spreading to other countries. Here the Singapore Government, and indeed other countries are urging people not to travel if they have the symptoms, and over at China they just don’t give a damn. So much for morals there.

gasband SG

China has always been like tat lah, pardon me but they have always been selfish people.

dumbdumb! SG

this is what i heard, pls correct me if i am wrong. >> actually the sars is merely the side effect of a bio chemical they were testing out, tts why they relunctant to release the information so soon, try to cover it up. after all every country sure got their own "area 51". testing all kinds of stuff secretly blah blah. just a thought. Mr. Green

Parka SG

If it is, then that's really sin. Degradation......But it happens all the time......

NEWater SG

Lol… read Coming Collapse of China for a comprehensive explanation of why China always tries to cover everything up whenever something like this happens. Apparently, the CCP is covering this up to prevent the people from panicking, and somehow they’ve forgotten that the people in China is part of the immensely-growing community of the Internet. CCP just doesn’t want the people to start another “revolution” or just afraid of an uprising.

joyjoy SG

ya, the chinese they are so selfish,coz of their political reason they disclose this serious flu to the world,they only think for themselves only, i think that the olypim(i don't if i spell correctly) should cancell their 2008 olypim in bejing coz if they can't handle such a simple flu which happen in china before 2003 than when it became from bad to worst ,then the chinese say ,ok we're VERY VERY SORRY!!!!!!!bull shit!!!! these apoloziges were too late!!!! now so many ppls die from sars WHICH COULD PREVENT IF THE DAMN CHINESE AUTHORIES COULD REPORT THIS SARS TO THE WHO EARLIER!!!shame on chinese gov !!! useless!!!! could not decide on such important issue,tell them better handle their own matter well before they could handle big big matter, i really pity those who died ,really espacially to easter mok who lost her parents to SARS, is life really very that cruel?????? thank god!!!! i do not SARS!!!!! hope s'pore would stable down quickly Crying or Very sad Twisted Evil Evil or Very Mad

warspite SG

Well, this has something to do with the chinese culture. It is called "face". The most likely reason for their feet-dragging is probably to save face, they are too embarassed by their inability to control the outbreak in GuangDong. Don't be too surprised if the real figure of infected people is much higher than reported. China has a HUGE population, much more denser than HK, and definitely less hygenic. They may hushed up the real truth even now. FYI, I am Chinese (in race), so don't label me as rascist/discriminating!!!
Rolling Eyes Sad

SingaporeMacross SG

Wha later if they have Olympics in China, then all tio SARS.... Then the people all go home to thier countries...then SARS spread all over the world...then its good night end of the world. Evil or Very Mad