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| Experts caution against SARS comeback |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-28 09:05:48 |
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As people in Beijing get back to normal life, there's still a potential danger for the relapse of SARS. Health experts told our CCTV reporter that vigilance should be maintained for now, as it is crucial to prevent a recurrence of SARS.
Deserted just several weeks ago, Wangfujing, the main shopping street in downtown Beijing is back to being crowded as before. Many restaurants on the street are seeing a booming business.
A waitress of Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant said, "Since the SARS cases dropped, we have more and more customers. There's at least a 50 to 60％ increase."
It seems many people are tired of SARS now.
The traffic flow is obviously increasing in Beijing. There are more and more people taking buses and subways now. However, experts say the change of people's attitudes and their way of life are posing a great challenge for the prevention and control of SARS in the future.
Qi Xiaoqiu, director of Ministry of Health Disease Prevention & Control Dept. said,
"What we have seen in Beijing is the result of the control measures we have taken in the past few weeks. However, with people normalizing their lives, there are more people moving and getting together, such as resuming school classes and migrant workers going back to the city. That may cause the spread of SARS again."
To make things worse, many unhygienic practices are reappearing in some supermarkets, grocery stores and shopping malls in Beijing.
An inspector from Beijing Industry and Commerce Bureau said, "We required every seller to wear masks and portable gloves when operating. But we found none of them doing so. The sterilization is not up to standards as well."
Experts say all of this improper behavior and carelessness are raising an alarm that SARS may get back onto the city. Experts also warned that if a new cluster of SARS cases breaks out, there will probably be an even greater threat and a worse impact on people's health.
Qi Xiaoqiu said, "So far, there are a lot of unknowns about the SARS virus. For example, we are not totally clear about the source of the virus and how it is transmitted through different media. So from the current limited knowledge, there is the possibility for the disease to spread further."
To minimize the possible danger, the government has issued stricter rules especially to places receiving more and more people. In every construction site where most migrant workers come back and forth, they are required to take their body temperature twice a day, and emergency numbers are on the wall of every dorm. In restaurant and shopping malls downtown, an automated body temperature checking device at the entrance is a must.
"Experts say on the one hand, life is getting back to normal, which is a good thing. But on the other hand, everyone has to keep in mind when they go out that SARS is still there, so precautions are still in order. The government has been keeping people informed that the fight against SARS is a long and tedious process, which can not succeed without persistence."
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Editor: Inner Wu CCTV.com
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