Update On SARS - 2 May

02 May 2003

Situation Update

Three patients were discharged today, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from SARS to 146. 31 patients remained hospitalised, of whom 15 are in intensive care.

There were 2 new probable cases reported today. Details are as follows:

i. a 4-year-old boy whose parents were both reported as probable cases on 20 and 26 April 03. He became unwell on 24 April 03 and was admitted as a suspect case on 25 April 03. He had not been attending pre-school since the March school holidays and was on home quarantine since 20 April 03. He and his father are in stable condition. However, his mother is in serious condition in intensive care.

ii. a 34-year-old woman who is the daughter-in-law of the 60-year-old woman reported as a probable case on 23 Apr 03. The 34-year-old became unwell on 22 April 03 and was admitted as a suspect case the same day. Her mother-in-law was diagnosed as a probable case on 22 April 03.The daughter-in-law was admitted before a home quarantine order could be issued to her. She is in stable condition.

One SARS death was reported today. This was a 62 year old male inpatient from the SGH ward 57/58 cluster.

Post mortem investigations on the 65 year old male inpatient of the SGH Ward 57/58 cluster who was diagnosed as a probable SARS on 7 April 03 and died on 12 April 03 have shown that he died from a non-SARS cause. The post-mortem showed that he died from multi-organ failure due to an abdominal abscess from an infected gall bladder. Postmortem tissues were tested for coronavirus by 2 different PCR tests, both of which were negative.

Update on deceased taxi driver

Investigations have revealed that the 43 year old taxi driver who died at home on 19 April 03 was a contact of the 64 year old man vegetable seller at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC) who was admitted to NUH on 8 April 03 and died at TTSH on 12 April 03. It has now been established that the 64 year old man did go to work at the PPWC on 8 April 03. His friend booked a taxi to bring him from the PPWC to his home at about 10 am that morning. The description given by his friend of the taxi driver who ferried the 64 year old man fits the description of the deceased taxi driver.

Situation Update of Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC)

Six persons in relation to PPWC were admitted as new suspect cases today. They comprise a worker, a delivery man and 4 visitors. The worker had been on home quarantine.

In total, there are currently 10 persons linked to the PPWC who are in hospital as suspect SARS cases, comprising 7 visitors to the market, 2 workers at the market and 1 family contact.

New Suspect SARS Patients

There were a total of 18 patients who were admitted to TTSH as new suspect cases today, including the 6 persons related to PPWC. Of the remaining 12 patients, 3 had travelled overseas, 3 were inpatients who had been transferred by other hospitals, 1 was a healthcare worker, and the remaining 5 had no contact history at the point of admission.

The 3 inpatients and the 1 healthcare worker were picked up to have high or prolonged fever by their hospitals' staff temperature monitoring system, and admitted to TTSH for observation.

Quarantine Figures*

#Discharged patients under home quarantine: 388

PPWC Quarantine: 1985

Contacts under home quarantine: 662

Total under home quarantine orders: 3035

*Quarantine cases refer to those who are required to stay at home for precautionary reasons as they may have had contact with a SARS patient. These are healthy individuals.

# This is an added precautionary measure for discharged SARS patients as well as those with co-morbidities.

Summary of SARS cases

A summary of the SARS cases to date:

Discharged: 146

Hospitalised: 31 (including 15 in intensive care)

Deaths: 25+1 (pending further post moterm test results)

Probable Cases: 203

Suspect Cases: 76 (including 5 children below 18)

Travel advisory

MOH urges the public to heed World Health Organisation (WHO)'s advice to postpone travel to Hong Kong, Guangdong, Beijing, Shanxi until another time. We would also like to advise the public to avoid travel to other SARS affected areas - Taiwan and Mongolia, unless absolutely necessary.

Public Education Message for the Day

PRACTISE GOOD HYGIENE AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TO PREVENT INFECTION

Do

- Wash your hands often with soap and water

- Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when you cough or sneeze

- Spit into a toilet bowl or tissue

- Cough or blow your nose into a tissue paper

- Have a balanced diet and exercise regularly

- Have enough rest and sleep early

Don't

- Don't smoke

- Don't drink too much alcohol

- Don't overwork