Press Release - April 20, 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 409 patients have recovered from atypical pneumonia and have been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 46 were discharged today (April 20).

As at 1 pm today, there is an additional 22 patients confirmed to have atypical pneumonia following admission to public hospitals earlier. They include four healthcare workers (two from Prince of Wales Hospital, one from Caritas Medical Centre, one from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital). The remaining 18 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 two patients are receiving treatment in intensive care unit.

Seven patients died in Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHNH), Kwong Wah Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKO)and Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH). This brought to 88 the total number of deaths relating to atypical pneumonia in Hong Kong.