Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

SARS Causing Deaths Among Younger Patients

Aired April 14, 2003 - 05:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's step away from war coverage for just a bit to talk about health, namely SARS. In Hong Kong, six younger patients have died of SARS. That is, of course, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Health officials say they're distressed to see healthy young patients succumb to the highly contagious, flu like illness.
CNN's Andrew Brown joins us live from Hong Kong with more -- good morning.

ANDREW BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I think people have always wondered who is actually affected by this disease, which demographic it is, whether it's older people, whether it's younger people, and now we're getting some disturbing answers to those questions.

Let me just run through the figures very quickly. In China, in mainland China there have been 64 deaths and 1,383 infections. Hong Kong, 40 deaths and 1,150 people infected. Now, over the weekend, six out of eight people who died, those victims were said to be healthy and they were in their 40s, a few people in their early 40s, or their early 50s.

Canada, 13 deaths, 101 infections. Canadian authorities say the infection rate actually may be higher than that. Singapore, 10 deaths, 151 infections. And in Vietnam, there have been five deaths and 63 infections. In Singapore and Vietnam, the situation is much more under control than it is in mainland China and Hong Kong, which is the area that people are watching the closest.

COSTELLO: Is there a sense that they're getting this under control or, you know, people just continue dying from this disease?

BROWN: Well, the death rate, Carol, is actually quite low. It may be as low as four percent. Obviously, that's very high if you're the family of one of the victims. But in terms of other diseases, the death rate isn't as disturbing as it might otherwise be.

But the short answer to your question is in mainland China and in Hong Kong, there continue to be more infections and there continue to be more people dying.

COSTELLO: Andrew Brown, thanks for bringing us up to date.

We appreciate it. Live from Hong Kong this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 14, 2003 - 05:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's step away from war coverage for just a bit to talk about health, namely SARS. In Hong Kong, six younger patients have died of SARS. That is, of course, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Health officials say they're distressed to see healthy young patients succumb to the highly contagious, flu like illness.
CNN's Andrew Brown joins us live from Hong Kong with more -- good morning.

ANDREW BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I think people have always wondered who is actually affected by this disease, which demographic it is, whether it's older people, whether it's younger people, and now we're getting some disturbing answers to those questions.

Let me just run through the figures very quickly. In China, in mainland China there have been 64 deaths and 1,383 infections. Hong Kong, 40 deaths and 1,150 people infected. Now, over the weekend, six out of eight people who died, those victims were said to be healthy and they were in their 40s, a few people in their early 40s, or their early 50s.

Canada, 13 deaths, 101 infections. Canadian authorities say the infection rate actually may be higher than that. Singapore, 10 deaths, 151 infections. And in Vietnam, there have been five deaths and 63 infections. In Singapore and Vietnam, the situation is much more under control than it is in mainland China and Hong Kong, which is the area that people are watching the closest.

COSTELLO: Is there a sense that they're getting this under control or, you know, people just continue dying from this disease?

BROWN: Well, the death rate, Carol, is actually quite low. It may be as low as four percent. Obviously, that's very high if you're the family of one of the victims. But in terms of other diseases, the death rate isn't as disturbing as it might otherwise be.

But the short answer to your question is in mainland China and in Hong Kong, there continue to be more infections and there continue to be more people dying.

COSTELLO: Andrew Brown, thanks for bringing us up to date.

We appreciate it. Live from Hong Kong this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com