Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 26, 2003
Chinese Mainland Reports 2,601 SARS Cases
China's Ministry of Health said Friday afternoon that the Chinese mainland reported a total of 2,601 confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases by 8:00 p.m. April 24.
China's Ministry of Health said Friday afternoon that the Chinese mainland reported a total of 2,601 confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases by 8:00 p.m. April 24.
Altogether 115 SARS patients had died while 1,277 had been discharged from hospital upon recovery, according to the information office of the ministry.
The total number of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases in Beijing were 877 as of 8:00 p.m. April 24, the Ministry of Health said Friday.
Of the total SARS patients in the Chinese capital, 73 had been discharged from hospital upon recovery and 42 had died, the information office of the ministry said.
In the 24 hours ending 8:00 p.m. April 24, Beijing reported 103 new SARS cases, nine patients were discharged from hospitals upon recovery and 3 died.
Among these figures, a total of 21 cases (involving 10 medical workers), including 2 deaths, were reported in Tianjin.
18 cases (involving 5 medical workers; the diagnosed case in Thursday�s report has been proved to be not a medical worker.) were reported in Hebei Province.
173 cases (involving 46 medical workers), including 14 recovered and 8 deaths, were reported in Shanxi.
70 cases (involving 11 medical workers), including 6 deaths, were reported in Inner Mongolia.
In addition, a total of 330 suspected cases were reported from across the mainland Friday. By 8 pm of April 24, the total number of suspected cases nationwide was 1,482, including 954 from Beijing, 26 from Tianjin, 22 from Hebei, 135 from Shanxi, 128 from Inner Mongolia, 7 from Jilin, 18 from Shanghai, 2 from Jiangsu, 5 from Zhejiang, 2 from Jiangxi, 1 from Shandong; 4 from Henan, 10 from Hubei, 2 from Hunan, 127 from Guangdong, 2 from Guangxi, 2 from Chongqing; 15 from Sichuan; 15 from Shaanxi, 2 from Gansu, 2 from Ningxia, and 1 from Xinjiang.
China takes substantial measures against SARS
Organizations and officials around China have launched substantial measures to prevent, treat and control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Meanwhile, people nationwide have participated in the fight against the SARS disease by resorting to such means as doing general clean-ups, disinfecting their offices or workshops, wearing gauge masks when walking or doing outdoor activities, cleaning their living quarters with medicinal liquids and isolating a few SARS case suspects.
A large number of shopping centers in the Chinese capital opened their ventilation intakes wider and disinfected air conditioner filters daily so as to let fresh air in unimpeded.
Huge TV screens at the spacious terminal building of Beijing's Capital Airport broadcast regularly the guidelines on how to prevent and control SARS epidemic. And warnings on SARS are also available in both domestic and international passenger areas and the information counters.
Workers and functionaries at the two leading railway stations in the city, the Beijing Railway Station and West Railway Station, were seen distributing pamphlets concerning the information related to SARS prevention and control to passengers arriving and departing in all directions.
All public traffic vehicles, including buses, long-distance buses and taxis in the national capital, have left windows wide open and disinfected the interior everyday.
At the same time, the government of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has called for a region-wide campaign to check the spread of the SARS disease since its first case was spotted earlier this week.
Hospitals above the county level in Ningxia have designated special quarters for patients with their body temperatures higher than normal. So far, they have received 105 such patients and none has been diagnosed as having SARS.
Twenty-one "checkpoints" have been set up along major highways and railroads and airports across the region to conduct medical examinations of SARS suspects. All motor vehicles in and out of Ningxia have to go through disinfecting procedures.
Moreover, in the capital of Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province, more than 100 medical workers from 12 medical health centers at the city level have been involved in a publicity drive, distributing 200,000 pamphlets among local residents to acquaint them with the related basics and useful prevention and control methods.
Though Yunnan province in the southwest has so far not spotted any SARS cases, the provincial government has earmarked 2.6 million yuan (about 310,000 US dollars) for building a SARS control network to cover all prefectures, counties and townships throughout the province.
As from Apr. 1, SARS control organizations across Yunnan instituted a daily reporting system and formed four emergency teams of medical practitioners to monitor around-the-clock the SARS disease and carry out effective prevention methods.