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CNN Live At Daybreak
SARS Cover-Up: Charges Against China
Aired April 18, 2003 - 06:46 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: In health news this morning, federal officials say 35 Americans might, might be infected with SARS. Authorities base that on guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome can be deadly.
But one expert explains why these U.S. cases may not be fatal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATL. INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You wouldn't necessarily expect to see a death since the death rate in this particular disease is about 4 percent. So I think it's fundamentally the same disease, we just don't have as many probable cases in the United States as they have, for example, in Canada or Hong Kong or in China.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Talking about China, China is accused this morning of trying to hide the extent of the SARS outbreak there.
Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz joins us live with details on this alleged cover-up -- good morning.
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Morning, Carol.
Now the SARS epidemic has been hurting China badly in terms of the number of people infected and killed. But China is also hurting in terms of the losses in tourism, airline and hotel industries, as well as in its tarnished international image due to criticisms overseas that China's been too slow in sharing information but too quick at covering things up. The TimeAsia.com today reported that officials in Beijing a few days ago moved several SARS patients from their hospital wards away from the eyes of a World Health Organization team inspecting their hospital.
Now we tried to call certain government agencies and hospitals just to get -- to get their side of the story, but none of them wanted to talk. Now if these reports are true, it just fits a pattern whereby you have officials not telling the whole truth.
Now, Carol, this is an old systemic problem in China where you have officials for centuries, up until now, who often cover-up bad news and undercount bad statistics for fear of losing face and worse, losing their jobs. So we have a problem here when a crisis like this breaks out, it's very difficult to find the real -- the real situation. And the Chinese officials, the top officials seem to acknowledge that. They had a special meeting last night, and a top official, Liu Jianchao (ph), the president, has called on officials at all levels to truthfully report on SARS least they be punished -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So China is realizing that in the long run by hiding these cases of SARS it could actually hurt the population more?
FLORCRUZ: Exactly, and a lot of people that we talk with are more and more anxious about this. We visited the campuses today and a lot more students are wearing their facemasks, some of the classes were cancelled. And we visited a pharmacy and there are scores and scores of people lining up to pick up bottles of traditional Chinese medicine that is supposed to boost their immunity and prevent getting SARS -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jaime FlorCruz, reporting live from Beijing China this morning, many thanks to you.
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 18, 2003 - 06:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In health news this morning, federal officials say 35 Americans might, might be infected with SARS. Authorities base that on guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome can be deadly.
But one expert explains why these U.S. cases may not be fatal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATL. INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You wouldn't necessarily expect to see a death since the death rate in this particular disease is about 4 percent. So I think it's fundamentally the same disease, we just don't have as many probable cases in the United States as they have, for example, in Canada or Hong Kong or in China.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Talking about China, China is accused this morning of trying to hide the extent of the SARS outbreak there.
Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz joins us live with details on this alleged cover-up -- good morning.
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Morning, Carol.
Now the SARS epidemic has been hurting China badly in terms of the number of people infected and killed. But China is also hurting in terms of the losses in tourism, airline and hotel industries, as well as in its tarnished international image due to criticisms overseas that China's been too slow in sharing information but too quick at covering things up. The TimeAsia.com today reported that officials in Beijing a few days ago moved several SARS patients from their hospital wards away from the eyes of a World Health Organization team inspecting their hospital.
Now we tried to call certain government agencies and hospitals just to get -- to get their side of the story, but none of them wanted to talk. Now if these reports are true, it just fits a pattern whereby you have officials not telling the whole truth.
Now, Carol, this is an old systemic problem in China where you have officials for centuries, up until now, who often cover-up bad news and undercount bad statistics for fear of losing face and worse, losing their jobs. So we have a problem here when a crisis like this breaks out, it's very difficult to find the real -- the real situation. And the Chinese officials, the top officials seem to acknowledge that. They had a special meeting last night, and a top official, Liu Jianchao (ph), the president, has called on officials at all levels to truthfully report on SARS least they be punished -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So China is realizing that in the long run by hiding these cases of SARS it could actually hurt the population more?
FLORCRUZ: Exactly, and a lot of people that we talk with are more and more anxious about this. We visited the campuses today and a lot more students are wearing their facemasks, some of the classes were cancelled. And we visited a pharmacy and there are scores and scores of people lining up to pick up bottles of traditional Chinese medicine that is supposed to boost their immunity and prevent getting SARS -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jaime FlorCruz, reporting live from Beijing China this morning, many thanks to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
