A Chinese woman wears a mask while taking a subway train in Beijing (AP)
Reports Say China Hides SARS Cases Story aired: Thursday, April 17, 2003
While public health officials around the world race against the SARS virus, the government of China stands accused of covering up the severity of the epidemic in Beijing.
Nearly half the world's reported SARS patients are in China, with more than 1,400 suspected cases on the mainland, and more than 1,200 in Hong Kong.
Yesterday, World Health Organization researchers said they believe there may be two hundred cases of the new lung infection in China's capital city, more than five times the official government estimate.
Some have expressed serious concern about the ability of the Chinese public health system to cope with the emerging disease.
Guests:
John Pomfret of the Washington Post joins us from Beijing.
