Three suspected SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)
patients in Beijing were diagnosed as SARS patients but no new
suspected or diagnosed SARS cases were reported for the 24 hours
from 10 am Monday to 10 am Tuesday, Chinese Ministry of Health
announced in Beijing Tuesday.
The three diagnosed SARS patients include father of the first
diagnosed SARS patient in Beijing this year, surnamed Li, her ward
mate and the person looking after her ward mate, the ministry
said.
On Monday afternoon, the three suspected SARS patients were
diagnosed as SARS patients through tests of their blood serum by an
expert team in Beijing as well as their clinical manifestation and
epidemiological history, the ministry said.
The diagnosed SARS patient in Anhui, surnamed Song, is also in
stable condition and has had normal temperature for 11 days and the
experts team in Anhui said she can be discharged from hospital in a
few days, according to the ministry.
At present?89 of the people with close contact with her
have been freed from medical observation, the ministry said.
Since April 22, two diagnosed SARS cases were reported in Anhui,
seven in Beijing and no diagnosed or suspected cases were reported
in other provinces.
Meanwhile, Beijing's first confirmed SARS patient Li has
recovered and was discharged from hospital on Tuesday.
The SARS patient Li is a 20-year-old female nurse in Beijing's
Jiangong Hospital. She had symptoms of fever, cough and trembling
on April 5, and was hospitalized on April 7 before her transfer to
the Intensive Care Unit of the Renmin Hospital attached to
prestigious Beijing University on April 14.
Li was finally confirmed as SARS patient on April 22.
The Ministry of Health said medical examinations showed Li had
been connected epidemiologically with the SARS case in Anhui.
During the hospitalization of the Anhui patient in Beijing Jiangong
Hospital, it was Li who took care of the patient from March 29 to
April 2.
Now only one of the six diagnosed SARS patients in Beijing is in
serious condition, and the rest five are recovering, hospital
sources said.
(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2004)