Update on SARS - 20 May

20 May 2003

There are no new probable cases, discharges or deaths reported today. The number of patients who have recovered from SARS remains at 161, with 16 patients still hospitalised, and 7 of them in intensive care.

All, except 6, of Mr Lee Chong Kian's contacts have been screened by Health Promotion Board nurses. They are all currently well. Investigations are still on-going to determine the source of infection.

Suspect Cases

There are also no new suspect cases admitted today.

New Observation Cases

7 patients were admitted today for observation. Among them is a 50-year-old wholesaler from the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market as well as a man and a woman who arrived in Singapore from Shanghai. The remaining observation cases include a 2-year-old boy, a 29-year-old male and two 70-year-old men, who do not have a definite contact history at this point in time.

Quarantine Figures*

#Discharged patients under home quarantine: 470

Contacts under home quarantine: 58

Total under home quarantine orders: 528

*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: 161

Hospitalised: 16 (including 7 in intensive care)

Deaths: 28

Total No. of Probable Cases: 206*

Total No. of Suspect Cases: 1

Total No. of Observation Cases: 12

*includes 1 case who died from non-SARS causes

Travel Advisory

MOH urges the public to heed the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s advice to postpone travel to Beijing, Hong Kong, Hebei, Guangdong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Tianjin and Taipei until another time.