Press Release - April 23, 2003

A team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is coming to work with the HKSAR Department of Health to assist in environmental studies in the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, said today (April 23) that the team leader, WHO Senior Advisor Dr William Cocksedge, would arrive tomorrow, taking up a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government invitation issued ten days ago.

Dr Yeoh said Hong Kong wanted to beef up its environmental hygiene expertise with the benefit of the WHO's global experience in infectious diseases in order to identify the environmental factors in the outbreak of SARS.

He said the team leader would have discussions with the HKSAR Department of Health to discuss operational aspects of the work and to facilitate the team to start working as soon as possible.

This was expected to include joining the Department's analysis of the Amoy Gardens outbreak, among other issues.

Dr Yeoh also reiterated remarks he made yesterday about the outbreak of infections in Tai Po. He said 70 per cent of infections in Tai Po district were related to health care workers, or their families, or contacts of patients at the hospitals.

As regards recent comments on the death rate, Dr Yeoh pointed out that the estimation is consistent with the way case fatality rate has been compiled by the WHO. As for the final death rate, this can only be calculated after the epidemic is over when the outcomes of all the SARS patients have been ascertained.

However, he also pointed out that of the 1,458 people infected by SARS in Hong Kong, 522 had been discharged, while another 133 had recovered and were awaiting a final clearance before they could leave hospital.

For updated information and latest news on respiratory tract infections, please visit the special home page on the subject at www.info.gov.hk/info/infection-e.htm, and the HKSAR Department of Health website at www.info.gov.hk/dh/ap.htm as well as the e-bulletin at www.news.gov.hk/en/index.shtml.