Press Release - May 16, 2003

The following is jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR):

In Hong Kong, a total of 1171 patients have recovered from SARS and have been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 11 were discharged today (May 16). There are now 232 active cases under treatment in hospitals, of whom 52 patients are in intensive care unit. Most of the patients currently in hospital are showing positive responses to the treatment protocol. In addition, 65 are recovering patients in convalescence and in preparation for discharge.

As at 1 pm today, there is an additional three patients confirmed to have Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) following admission to public hospitals earlier. They include one healthcare worker from Prince of Wales Hospital. The remaining two are other patients and contacts of patients with SARS.

Four patients died in Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH). This brought to 238 the total number of deaths relating to SARS in Hong Kong.

The deceased include three men and one woman aged 53 to 90. Their information is as follows: