10pc think former Sars patients still contagious
One in 10 people believe recovered Sars patients remain contagious and 15 per cent think they could catch the disease by sharing a meal with them, a Chinese University survey has found.
The survey of 400 people, carried out in January, also found 16 per cent of respondents avoid shaking hands with former patients, 17 per cent do not share meals with them and 13 per cent were reluctant to work with them.
About 22 per cent avoid close contact, 15 per cent do not want to share escalators and 22 per cent would not let their children have close contact with former patients.
Joseph Lau Tak-fai - the director of the epidemiology and biostatistics centre at the university, who headed the survey - warned of social discrimination.
He made an urgent appeal to the health authorities to clarify the misconceptions. Professor Lau said: 'This misunderstanding may increase anxiety in the society. Misconceptions could easily [lead to] discrimination. So correct information should be disseminated.'
The survey also indicated that 30 per cent of people believe former patients should not work in the catering industry, 24 per cent said they should not teach in schools, 23 per cent believe recovered patients should not work in the medical and nursing sector, and 27 per cent said they should not look after children.
A quarter of respondents believed there were many asymptomatic cases - people who had been infected but did not show symptoms - within the community.
The poll also found the public had overestimated the Sars death rate among patients under 60, with only 14 per cent correctly saying it was below 10 per cent.