From SARS to H7N9: will history repeat itself?

摘要

China will never forget the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), for which it paid such a heavy and painful price a decade ago. According to WHO, from Nov 1, 2002, to July 31, 2003, 648 of the 7082 probable cases of SARS in mainland China and Hong Kong died. Many of the patients were frontline health workers. At that time, in the wake of its initial negative response to SARS, as well as proof of its fragmented and ineffective public health system, the Chinese Government's international reputation and domestic credibility were seriously damaged.10 years on, the shadow of SARS is again hovering over Chinese hearts with the emergence of the novel influenza A (H7N9) virus. By the time The Lancet went to press, 63 confirmed cases of H7N9 human infection, including 14 deaths, had been reported over a wide area, ranging from eastern China (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces), central China (Henan province), to northern China (Beijing). Unavoidably, there are pervasive worries that history might repeat itself.