Update on SARS - 21 May

21 May 2003

There are no new probable cases reported today. One additional patient has been discharged. The number of patients who have recovered from SARS is 162, with 14 patients still hospitalised, and 6 of them in intensive care.

The 28 year old lady who was admitted to TTSH on 19 April 03 and diagnosed to have probable SARS on 20 April 03, has passed away today. She had been in intensive care since 19 April 03. The lady came into contact with a 64-year-old man at the NUH Emergency Department on 8 April 03. The 64-year-old man, a vegetable seller at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, was later diagnosed with SARS. He was admitted to NUH on 8 April 03 and died at TTSH on 12 April 03.

Almost all of Mr Lee Chong Kian's 139 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 no new suspect cases admitted today.

New Observation Cases

There are 5 new observations cases today, comprising a 79 year old woman and 4 men, aged 6, 34, 58 and 70 years respectively. All of them are being treated for atypical pneumonia. None of them have a positive contact history with SARS.

MOH has also contacted the 30-year old man reported in Streats page 1 this morning and he has been sent to TTSH for further assessment via ambulance. His fever has since subsided. As a precautionary measure, however, he has been warded for observation.

Contrary to what was reported in Streats, our investigation revealed that the man did not have contact with anyone under home quarantine orders, nor had he been to Malaysia in the past year.

Quarantine Figures*

#Discharged patients under home quarantine: 505

Contacts under home quarantine: 44

Total under home quarantine orders: 549

*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: 162

Hospitalised: 14 (including 6 in intensive care)

Deaths 29

Total No. of Probable Cases: 206*

Total No. of Suspect Cases:

0

Total No. of Observation Cases: 10

*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.