# 4064
For anyone who has doubts about China’s ability, willingness, and sheer ruthlessness in hiding public health threats I would invite you to read Karl Taro Greenfeld’s terrific account of the SARS outbreak; The China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century's First Great Epidemic.
Since that 2002-03 outbreak China has made repeated promises regarding transparency and international cooperation, but few observers have a warm and fuzzy feeling about their surveillance and reporting.
Last week, Zhong Nanshan – a highly respected respiratory disease specialist on the mainland – accused Beijing of covering up the full extent of the Swine Flu outbreak (see Zhong Nanshan On China’s Death Toll).
Twenty-four hours later the Health Ministry responded, vowing to punish anyone covering up H1N1 fatalities ( see China Warns Local Officials Not To Conceal Cases).
While we may get revised totals from the Health Ministry at some point, along with some sacrificial heads on a platter, the prospects of getting good data out of China are still pretty slim.
Which bring us to Revere’s piece on Chinese transparency in Effect Measure today.
Swine flu in China: no problem
