AIDS fear afflicts thousands across China (2)
AIDS fear afflicts thousands across China (2)
14:32, October 28, 2009 
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Case Two
One man nicknamed “Shenzhen God” on the Internet claimed he had unintentionally spread the virus to more than 20 of his 40 co-workers because he shared phones and dined with them.
But to his surprise his girlfriend, who lives with him, showed no symptoms.
What do the experts say?
“They don’t believe us when we tell them they don’t have HIV. We refer to them as suffering from obsessive AIDS phobia,” Cai Weiping, a department chief of Guangzhou No. 8 People’s Hospital and a member of Li’s committee, said. “Most symptoms are psychosomatic. Some patients’ family members told me they were forceably taken to hospital because their spouses insisted they were sick, which was not true.”
According to the doctors, strong fear and anxiety can cause immunity deficiencies, which may lead to illness.
Gui Xi’en, a prestigious AIDS expert in China who won the 2003 Barry & Martin’s Trust prize, an English registered charity which promotes AIDS education, prevention and care, said tests showed the immunity index of this group of people was lower than average.
“HIV can damage a person’s immune system, but immunity deficiency is not necessarily equal to HIV,” he said.
“Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of them are infected by a kind of unknown virus as they themselves claim,” Gui said. “We don’t exactly know what causes their symptoms, but are 100 percent sure that they are not infected with HIV.”
Government's reaction:
These “patients” have successfully got into direct contact with Zeng Guang, head of epidemiology for Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in July.
“An increasing number of people are falling victim to the HIV-like virus. Failing to find effective treatment and feeling ignored, more patients are beginning to take retaliation against society by deliberately spreading the virus,” the letter said. “It jeopardizes the public health.”
Zeng said in an answering letter July 18 on the Internet that he was greatly concerned about the issue and would report to the Central Govenrment after a thorough investigation.
He summoned a meeting on the subject of the CDC’s AIDS experts July 23, at which all agreed that the matter needed immediate attention.
Source: People's Daily Online / Shenzhen Daily
【1】 【2】
One man nicknamed “Shenzhen God” on the Internet claimed he had unintentionally spread the virus to more than 20 of his 40 co-workers because he shared phones and dined with them.
But to his surprise his girlfriend, who lives with him, showed no symptoms.
What do the experts say?
“They don’t believe us when we tell them they don’t have HIV. We refer to them as suffering from obsessive AIDS phobia,” Cai Weiping, a department chief of Guangzhou No. 8 People’s Hospital and a member of Li’s committee, said. “Most symptoms are psychosomatic. Some patients’ family members told me they were forceably taken to hospital because their spouses insisted they were sick, which was not true.”
According to the doctors, strong fear and anxiety can cause immunity deficiencies, which may lead to illness.
Gui Xi’en, a prestigious AIDS expert in China who won the 2003 Barry & Martin’s Trust prize, an English registered charity which promotes AIDS education, prevention and care, said tests showed the immunity index of this group of people was lower than average.
“HIV can damage a person’s immune system, but immunity deficiency is not necessarily equal to HIV,” he said.
“Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of them are infected by a kind of unknown virus as they themselves claim,” Gui said. “We don’t exactly know what causes their symptoms, but are 100 percent sure that they are not infected with HIV.”
Government's reaction:
These “patients” have successfully got into direct contact with Zeng Guang, head of epidemiology for Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in July.
“An increasing number of people are falling victim to the HIV-like virus. Failing to find effective treatment and feeling ignored, more patients are beginning to take retaliation against society by deliberately spreading the virus,” the letter said. “It jeopardizes the public health.”
Zeng said in an answering letter July 18 on the Internet that he was greatly concerned about the issue and would report to the Central Govenrment after a thorough investigation.
He summoned a meeting on the subject of the CDC’s AIDS experts July 23, at which all agreed that the matter needed immediate attention.
Source: People's Daily Online / Shenzhen Daily
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http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6796692.pdf