Beijing confirms 2 SARS patients
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-29 21:54

Two suspected SARS patients in Beijing have been confirmed to have the disease, with one in critical condition, Ministry of Health officials said.

The two patients, surnamed Li and Teng, are the aunt and mother of Beijing's first diagnosed SARS patient, a daily surveillance report from the ministry said.

The newly confirmed SARS patient Li is in critical condition, but Teng's condition remains relatively stable.

Meanwhile, a World Health Organization (WHO) group including three experts and a translator along with three Chinese Ministry of Health experts arrived on Wednesday in Hefei in East China's Anhui Province to look into the SARS situation in that province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The experts will visit the Anhui SARS patient with the hope of finding out how she was infected, the report said.

Beijing's first SARS patient Li is currently in stable condition and has had normal body temperature for 13 straight days.

The other four suspected SARS patients in Beijing are still isolated and under treatment at the Ditan hospital. Among all the people in close contact with the reported patients, 22 have been removed from medical observation.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old diagnosed patient Song, in East China's Anhui Province, is recovering and has had a normal temperature for six consecutive days. Of those in close contact with her, 39 have been freed from medical observation.

So far, the health ministry has reported three diagnosed and four suspected SARS cases in Beijing and one diagnosed along with one suspected case in Anhui. That includes a suspected SARS patient who died on April 19 in Anhui.

In another development, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Lee Jong-wook on Wednesday voiced his satisfaction with China's efforts to deal with SARS.

Speaking to reporters in Singapore after delivering a public lecture, Lee said China has done its best to fight the disease and the outbreak seems to be under control now.