HONG KONG -- Last year, after China was caught suppressing information about the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, it dismissed the minister of health and the mayor of Beijing and dramatically opened its health-care system up to international scrutiny. There was much hope then that the disease would usher in a new era of governmental openness.
This hope has not been realized, at least not yet, but the emergence of a new case of SARS in Guangzhou in December shows that China has, indeed, become more open at least as far as SARS -- and probably other contagious diseases -- is concerned.
The patient, a 32-year-old television producer, developed a fever and headache on Dec. 16 but did not seek medical assistance at Zhongshan University First Affiliated Hospital until four days later, when he was diagnosed as having pneumonia and placed under observation. On Dec. 24, he was transferred to the Guangzhou 8th People's Hospital. On Dec. 26, the World Health Organization was informed. On Monday, Jan. 5, the case was confirmed as SARS.