SARS cases will have no lasting impact, says PATA

Saturday, 27 Apr, 2004 0

A FRESH outbreak of SARS in China, including one death, may damage sales in the short term but is unlikely to have any lasting impact, the Pacific Asia Travel Association has said.

The organisation stressed that China had learned crucial lessons during last year’s crisis and was now far better equipped to deal with any new situation.

PATA’s assurances came as China confirmed two cases of SARS with a further four more suspected of carrying the virus.

One of the four has died. Despite authorities saying she had a heart complaint, the World Health Organisation said she had “clinical symptoms….compatible with SARS.”

A further 500 people are believed to have been quarantined. All cases are believed to have originated from a single source – a medical student who worked at a laboratory investigating the virus.

PATA UK chairman Tim Robinson played down the outbreak and insisted China has learned from last year’s outbreak in which 349 people died.

“It’s unfortunate but with only four or five cases its important not to react hysterically,” he said. “There may be some short term effect but as time goes by people will not worry so much and won’t react in such a knee-jerk way.

“Containment measures will also be much more effective than last time. We have a clearer idea of what we are dealing with and the procedures for managing the situation are better than they were.”

PATA executive director David Arscott added: “It’s hard to say what the effect may be but my feeling is that it won’t have much of one. “We are watching the situation but I don’t believe there is too much cause for concern. The cases are from one source and it has been contained.”

China Travel Service, on the UK’s largest operators to the country, yesterday sent a memo to staff alerting them to the outbreak after two worried customers contacted the company.

Project manager Chris Rees said: “At the moment – and I choose my words carefully – the number of cases is a drop in the ocean but we are watching situation closely. You cannot forget how devastating it was last year. “But I think this time the Chinese Government and World Health organisation will be on top if it.”

He said sales had been reasonable since last year’s outbreak but admitted they “had not been as encouraging as they could have been.”