Press Release - April 17, 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 272 patients have recovered from atypical pneumonia and have been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 15 were discharged today (April 17).

As at 1 pm today, there is an additional 29 patients confirmed to have atypical pneumonia following admission to public hospitals earlier. They include nine healthcare workers (three from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, three from Prince of Wales Hospital, one from Princess Margaret Hospital, one from United Christian Hospital and one from Shatin Hospital). The remaining 20 were other patients and contacts of patients with atypical pneumonia.

Most of the patients currently in hospital are showing positive responses to the new treatment protocol. One hundred and eighteen patients are receiving treatment in intensive care unit.

Four patients died in hospitals, bring to 65 the total number of deaths relating to atypical pneumonia in Hong Kong. A female and a male, both aged 69 and with a history of chronic disease, died in Tuen Mun Hospital. A 39-year-old female died in United Christian Hospital. Another chronically ill male patient, aged 42, died in Tseung Kwan O Hospital.

The cumulative figure for patients who have been admitted to Hong Kong�s public hospitals with atypical pneumonia since March 12 is as follows: