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| SARS patients conquer fears and disease |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-17 13:05:35 |
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Twenty－seven patients have been given the all－clear by the Beijing Thoracic Hospital after recovering from SARS. As they headed home, they became the biggest group discharged in one day from a single hospital since the city launched its offensive on the disease.
The group left the hospital on Monday. Their departure fell on International Nurses Day. Medical staff gathered in the courtyard, holding flowers to say farewell to the recovered patients. For these medical workers, the patients' renewed health is the best Nurses Day gift they could have.
A young man of this group was the first to leave the ward. He was cheerful and optimistic but, like others, admitted to being terrified when first diagnosed with SARS.
"I was a little bit frightened," said a recovered patient.
"I was in such a bad mood and very panicky because I knew nothing about it," said another recovered patient.
"I burst into tears when I learned I was infected. I had never expected that I would be in such a danger," said a recovered patient.
One of the hospital's doctors says it's inevitable facts about SARS are exaggerated when nothing is known about the virus. But, he says, recovery is hampered when patients feel overwhelmed. Fear can lower immunity.
"There was a patient who was so unstable that she would not deal with our treatment. Her condition deteriorated and she died not long after," said a doctor.
The former patients say they overcame the fear factor and gained confidence in their recovery when they learned more about the virus. The medical workers' improving expertise in treating SARS also gave them hope.
The former patients admit being infected with SARS is unfortunate for anybody. But they also agree it was an extraordinary emotional experience.
"My SARS experience changed my views on a lot of issues. I value life more. I felt love from all the doctors and nurses here," said a recovered patient.
As the disease comes under control, more and more patients are recovering and heading home. But they face another problem － the fears of their neighborhood, colleagues, and even relatives. Doctors say the discrimination is both unfair and unwarranted.
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Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
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