There are no changes in the suspected patient of the deadly
pneumonia virus in Pretoria, and South Africa would not quarantine
people from Asia or any other places that have found the case of
this respiratory virus, a health official said on Thursday.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Director-General of
Health Department Ayanda Ntsaluba said "there are no change of the
patient's situation, all the people around him are good, and we are
monitoring the whole situation."
A
62-year-old businessman has been admitted to Pretoria East Hospital
this week and the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health confirmed
Monday night that the patient was a possible case of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
According to the chief operating officer of the patient, people
can't confirm this as a definite case right now, but the
businessman had been to Hong Kong.
Asked about whether the South African government would take special
measures to quarantine people from Hong Kong, Ntsaluba said "at
present stage, we just provide information to people, like if they
feel the symptoms of the disease, where they can find the
help."
Ntsaluba said the health department was asking airlines to take
proper measures to protect the pilots and staffs in the flight
between South Africa and countries and regions that have found the
cases of SARS.
And he emphasized that all they have done was just what their
counterparts in Hong Kong have done, and all these measures were in
compliance with the suggestions of the World Health Organization
(WHO).
An
anonymous health official told Xinhua "I don't think SARS pose a
serious threat to South Africa at present stage. Of course things
may be different in two months, but now it is not a serious
challenge."
The official even jokingly pointed fingers on media, saying
"without your repeated reporting (this disease), I think we can
discuss this more rationally."
(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2003)