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| Photo Credit Wikipedia |
In 2003, when SARS was burning its way through parts of China - and the Chinese government actively hid that information from its people, its doctors, and the rest of the world - one man boldly went before the TV cameras and told the truth.
His name : Dr. Zhong Nanshan.In 2003 he was the director of Guangzhou's Institute of Respiratory Diseases, a member of China’s Academy of Sciences, and pioneered some of the earliest (and most successful) treatments for SARS patients.
Zhong also did something that normally isn't conducive to good health and long life in China . . . he publicly challenged official government statements on the epidemic. In doing so, Zhong Nanshan not only helped to break the back of an epidemic, he became a much respected and revered household name in China - and the rest of the world.
So, when Zhong Nanshan (now 83, and Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Thoracic Disease) speaks, we listen. In the past couple of hours, he gave an interview (video link) to CCTV News, where he confirmed the infection of 14 exposed medical staff.
Zhong Nanshan: a patient with a new type of coronavirus pneumonia infected 14 medical staff
Time: 20 January 2020 Source: CCTV news client Author: Editor: Li Tuo
In response to the prevention and control of the "pneumonia epidemic of new coronavirus infection", Academician Zhong Nanshan, leader of the high-level expert group of the National Health Commission and members of the high-level expert group of the National Health Commission, Gao Fu, Li Lanjuan, Yuan Guoyong, Zeng Guang, etc. Questions of public concern are answered by reporters. As for the investigation and judgment of the epidemic situation, Academician Zhong Nanshan said that there are currently three characteristics.
Zhong Nanshan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, leader of the high-level expert group of the National Health and Health Commission: More than 95% have a relationship with Wuhan. Having been to Wuhan and coming from Wuhan is a feature. The second characteristic is that human infection has been confirmed. It is confirmed that there is human infection in two regions, one in Guangdong and one in Wuhan. The third feature also confirmed the infection of medical staff. Then these three conditions and the infection of medical staff finally confirmed that the infection around the patients with the new coronavirus was caused by 14 medical staff in all aspects of care.
Academician Zhong Nanshan said that the occurrence of human-to-human transmission and medical staff infection was a very important sign. The reason for the increased number of cases is more complicated.
Zhong Nanshan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, leader of the high-level expert group of the National Health and Health Commission: There is a process of understanding the disease. There are many reasons for the rapid detection of new detection technologies, not just one. If it is to be determined, it was previously issued from the national CDC or after a strict national identification, and now the consideration is not the same, because the two tests can be determined, which is also a reason.This is the first report we've seen on the nosocomial spread of the virus, which has been a hallmark of both SARS and MERS-CoV. Hopefully we'll get more details on this - and any other - healthcare related outbreaks sooner rather than later.
With both SARS and MERS, some patients appear not to have been very contagious, perhaps infecting only 1 or 2 people, while a few were considered `super-spreaders'. We'll need more data to know if this new coronavirus follows the same pattern.
Some past blogs on superspreading events include:
Ziad Memish: Two MERS-CoV Hospital Super Spreading Studies
The Lancet: Mapping The Korean MERS-CoV Superspreading Event
Saudi MOH: KKUH Hospital Outbreak As A `Superspreading' Event
