(Clearwisdom.net June 11, 2003) A report from the Chinese News Agency on Wednesday June 4 indirectly confirmed an earlier exposure by the Asian Times Online, which pointed out that the sharp fall in the number of confirmed SARS cases reported in China's was because that China uses its own definition to consider what would be reported as suspected SARS cases.

According to report from Asian Times online on June 5, Chinese News Agency reported Wednesday that a general manager, a deputy minister from the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, went on a business trip to Mianyang City. He was diagnosed as a SARS patient. This was the first SARS found in the local area. Until the morning when the report was published, his state of illness was still not stable and he was in a coma.

It is heard that this official flew from Beijing to Chengdu on May 29 and after staying in Chengdu for one day, he went to Mianyang City on the morning of May 31.

It was reported that at noon, when he arrived at Mianyang, he showed symptoms including lack of energy, fatigue and being unable to speak clearly. He was later sent to the Central Hospital for treatment. Through examination, doctors found out that he suffered from diabetes but he had no fever. However, on the afternoon of June 1, the patient became feverish and his temperature reached 38 degrees centigrade. A CT check showed that his lung had symptoms of light pneumonia. On the afternoon of June 3, his pneumonia did not show a favorable turn, and in addition, four doctors and nurses who treated him were found to have fever and felt pain in the bodies. Local SARS prevention headquarters immediately invited the Sichuan Provincial SARS control leading group to give an expert consultation and confirmed on the morning of June 4 that this was a suspected SARS case. Later, the patient was immediately transferred to a local hospital that was designated to treat SARS and he was quarantined.

It can be seen from the Chinese News Agency's report that this patient was from Beijing. He had a fever and symptom of light pneumonia. In addition, the four doctors and nurses were also found symptoms of having fever and pains in the bodies. According to the definition used by the World Health Organization, this case would be reported as a confirmed SARS case. But after the expert consultation by the Sichuan Provincial SARS control leading group, the case was listed only as a "suspected" case.

No wonder the WHO continues to question the validity of the number of SARS cases reported by China, claiming that it needs careful investigation.