# Chinese health officials kill US teacher **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692 "2003-04-10T01:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/1 "2003-04-10T01:50:08Z")
A Google News search for “James Salisbury” will give you the latest details. This makes my blood boil. He was an English teacher working in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. He went down with SARS a week or so ago. From what I can tell here in HK… - Friends tried to get him transferred to hospital in HK. Shenzhen officials refused (they are trying to maintain that they have had only 15 cases of SARS) - When he was all-but dead, yesterday evening, they hurriedly bundled him into an ambulance. He was DOA in HK - Shenzhen officials say he caught it in HK. Friends say he hadn’t visited HK in months - His 6 year old son is in poor condition in a HK hospital The global fear of SARS is over-done. But openness about how many people have it, and where, is key to controlling it. The Mainland Chinese secrecy about it has cost lives. This guy is just one example. The virus kills a few people who catch it. The communist culture of secrecy kills more. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/2 "2003-04-10T14:33:48Z")
Sort of true. Not discussing the risks of transmissable disease increases the risk factor 500%. But our government did the same here in the US. AIDS under Reagan. Polio risks in resort towns in the 30’s, 40’s & 50’s. All forms of STDs for most of American history. All for political reasons. None in a “culture of secrecy”. Re-think your OP. And my condolences to the family of the victim you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/3 "2003-04-10T14:46:22Z")
Alright, that’s it! We’re going invading China next! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/4 "2003-04-10T14:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skankweirdall \* > \*\*Alright, that’s it! We’re going invading China next! > 😃 \*\* Geez, I meant "we’re invading China next… I’m a retard. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/5 "2003-04-10T15:04:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\* > AIDS under Reagan. > \*\* While I suppose that this is at least plausable under the “Great Conservative”, I would really like to see some support for this claim. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/6 "2003-04-10T15:06:47Z")
Don’t think that hasn’t been gamed out. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/7 "2003-04-10T15:20:37Z")
SARS is now global, and too big to get a handle on. At a death rate of 2%, 160 million people will die from it. If you factor in those whose health is already compromised from AIDS in the African continent and Asia, the overall death rate will be higher. All because the Chinese government didn’t want to look bad. Heck, maybe they engineered the virus to get rid of the AIDS problem that they don’t admit they have. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/8 "2003-04-10T17:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > **SARS is now global, and too big to get a handle on. At a death rate of 2%, 160 million people will die from it.** Are you serious? 160 million “will” die?? That would require every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth to contract SARS. That’s absolutely preposterous, since there’s no indication SARS is anywhere near virulent enough to do anything close to causing widespread pandemics. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/9 "2003-04-10T17:14:33Z")
Just out of curiosity, what are the chances that this disease has existed in some of the more rural areas of China for a long while, but is just now getting notice because of it’s global travels? It seems the biggest fear is the way it’s already moved across the globe. One person walking into an airport could say, infect ten people, and each of those persons can go to a completely different destination from there. It’s a big deal because of this, I think, so the real deal is to put a check on international travel. Why’d this have to happen two weeks before my trip to Japan? Any news of it hitting over there? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/10 "2003-04-10T18:47:20Z")
Check [http://www.who.int/en/](http://www.who.int/en/) and [http://www.cdc.gov](http://www.cdc.gov) for more info. Last I checked Japan was fine. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/11 "2003-04-10T18:57:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > \*\*While I suppose that this is at least plausable under the “Great Conservative”, I would really like to see some support for this claim. \*\* Your wish, Sahib… [http://www.aegis.com/topics/timeline/default.asp](http://www.aegis.com/topics/timeline/default.asp) > [@](#): > > 1987 AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir®) – Glaxo Wellcome – becomes the first anti-HIV drug approved by the FDA. The recommended dose is one 100mg capsule every four hours around the clock. > Canada stops distribution of tainted blood products. > The US shuts its doors to HIV-infected immigrants and travelers. > **After a six year silence, US President Ronald Reagan uses the word “AIDS” in public for the first time.** And, Vice President George Bush is heckled when he calls for mandatory HIV testing. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/12 "2003-04-10T19:36:25Z")
How did you go from this: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peepthis \* > **Are you serious? 160 million “will” die??** to this: > [@](#): > > **That would require every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth to contract SARS** ? ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/13 "2003-04-10T19:47:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*How did you go from this:to this: ? \*\* 2% of the world’s population (presumably 8 billion from the numbers given) would be 160 million. All clear? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/14 "2003-04-10T19:56:28Z")
I’m not getting lost in the numbers, I’m getting lost in the ‘fact’ that everyone would have to contract SARS in order to satisfy the 160 mil. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/15 "2003-04-10T20:02:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*I’m not getting lost in the numbers, I’m getting lost in the ‘fact’ that everyone would have to contract SARS in order to satisfy the 160 mil. \*\* Well SARS kills 2% of people that have it then 8 billion people would have to have SARS. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/16 "2003-04-10T20:13:09Z")
Thanks, I’ve got it now. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/17 "2003-04-10T20:32:21Z")
**CRorex** Straightened my flawed reasoning out in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=176303) He makes a very solid case for the transfer of SARS by bodily fluids. I do feel that if this were virulant and airborne, a majority of the world’s population would _eventually_ catch it. That could well take years, and would require it to be contagious before showing symptoms, which has been posited in the press, but looks to be false. ---
**Author:** ![coosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@coosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coosa)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/18 "2003-04-11T04:08:09Z")
Actually: [SARs victim’s family confirms request](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=514&e=7&cid=514&u=/ap/20030411/ap_on_he_me/sars_virus) > [@](#): > > The family of an American dying from a new virus confirmed Thursday they wanted him moved from a mainland hospital to Hong Kong, downplaying accusations that China was trying to avoid another foreign death. . . . > > “We heard the hospital in Hong Kong had specialists that were treating people with SARS and we thought there might be other things that could be done to help him get better,” said Michelle Salisbury of Orem, Utah. > She said Salisbury’s parents had ordered the change in hospitals and that they were taking advice from a doctor on staff with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in China. She said that doctor had spoken to the physicians at the hospital in Shenzhen, China, and in Hong Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/19 "2003-04-11T07:33:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > \*\*Why’d this have to happen two weeks before my trip to Japan? Any news of it hitting over there? \*\* So far, so good, according to the official reports, but then the Japanese government also has a history of selectivly reporting unpleasant medical facts. Until just a few years ago, the official line was that AIDS was something only foreigners had. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692/20 "2003-04-11T07:52:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*SARS is now global, and too big to get a handle on. At a death rate of 2%, 160 million people will die from it. If you factor in those whose health is already compromised from AIDS in the African continent and Asia, the overall death rate will be higher. > > \*\* JESUS CHRIST STOP WITH THE PANIC YOU FUCKING CRAZIES. I live in Hong Kong! And I’m not going to fucking get sick! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-health-officials-kill-us-teacher/167692.md?page=2)