World Health Organization: The disease has passed its peak in Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, but continues to spread in China; Today, Ben Gurion Airport will begin testing returnees from risk areas; Israeli hospitalized in Safed did not have SARS *Fear of collapse of China's health system. Canada tightens restrictions on those leaving the country. In Hong Kong
Millions of Chinese celebrated yesterday (Thursday) May 1, the socialist Labor Day - in their homes. The traditional street celebrations for this day have been canceled, while the country is forced to fight the spread of the Sars epidemic, which threatens to cause a general collapse of the health systems.
The Chinese government canceled today's events and informed the tourist offices in the various countries to try and dissuade people from visiting the country. During the celebrations held last year, 87.1 million people flocked to the streets of the capital, bringing in profits of about 4 billion dollars to the state coffers.
The Canadian government, the only country outside Asia to have an outbreak of the disease, has announced that it is tightening its controls on those leaving the country. Starting next week, all passengers departing from Toronto and Vancouver airports will be required to complete a comprehensive medical questionnaire before being allowed to board a plane. The government's announcement follows a World Health Organization announcement that potential SARS carriers had left Canada and spread the virus to Australia, the United States and the Philippines.
In Hong Kong, five more people died from the disease, raising the number of dead in the country to 162. The number of patients is 1,600. A dozen patients who were discharged a few days ago to their homes, were hospitalized a second time, after complaining of severe breathing difficulties. The hospital where they are admitted said that the Sars virus weakened their immune system and that they suffer from general weakness and lung scars.
The experimental heat detectors installed by the Singapore government at the country's airports have detected two additional cases of patients. During the next two weeks, Singapore plans to complete the installation of an array of 50 detectors at all airports and seas. The installation of the detectors is another step in the efforts of the Singaporean government to combat the dimensions of infection in the country, the fourth largest in the world. As part of these efforts, the government provided thermometers to homes, closed schools, and ordered taxi drivers to stick a sticker indicating a normal body temperature.
The dimensions of the disease are increasing
The Badminton World Championship, which was supposed to be held in Birmingham, England between May 12 and 18, was canceled due to the fears of the Sars epidemic. This is the first sporting event canceled due to the pandemic.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder may postpone his expected visit to Asia, which should be held at the beginning of the month. A spokesman for the German government said that the government had instructed local health experts to review the risks inherent in the visit, which is to be held in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.
World Health Organization experts, who met in Toronto last Wednesday, reported that the dimensions of the SARS epidemic are growing. The experts met to find new ways to prevent the spread of the disease and expect the death toll to increase by about 6 percent. The experts say that the most effective way to prevent the spread of the disease is to quickly isolate patients and that providing medical treatment in the initial stages of the disease increases the patient's chances of recovery.
30/4/03
Despite the hopes of stopping the atypical pneumonia (SARS) in some East Asian countries, the disease continues to kill victims in China. Nine more people died in the country in the last day, and in Hong Kong at least 12 people died in the last two days. 203 more patients were discovered in China and 16 more cases of the disease in Hong Kong. Yesterday, the first patient who died from Sars was also reported in Indonesia.
Yesterday, the director of the World Health Organization's infectious diseases department, David Heyman, assessed that "SARS has peaked in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, but it continues to spread in China." He noted that he could not yet say that the spread of atypical pneumonia had stopped, and emphasized China's importance in stopping the spread.
AdvertisementThe World Health Organization is pinning its hopes on stopping SARS, also following a precedent set by Vietnam: Hanoi officially announced yesterday that it has managed to control the outbreak of the disease in its territory, with no new cases detected there since April 8. According to World Health Organization regulations, if no new patient is detected for 20 days – twice the incubation period of the virus – the disease has been contained. Therefore, Vietnam was removed yesterday from the list of risk areas for the disease, which still includes Toronto in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore, and Beijing and the provinces of Guangdong and Shanxi in China.
The leaders of Southeast Asian countries are meeting today in Thailand to coordinate the fight against the spread of Sars. The leaders are expected to approve forced checks at the border crossings.
Landers will be checked and fill out a questionnaire
At Ben Gurion Airport, medical examinations will begin today for every passenger coming from the SARS risk areas, in accordance with the Minister of Health's decision from yesterday. The tests will include an attempt to find symptoms of the disease in the landers and filling out a personal questionnaire. The tests will begin in the afternoon, public health officials have been asked to report to the field at 16:00 p.m., equipped with means to check the health status of the landers in Israel.
The 73-year-old who was hospitalized in Israel yesterday with symptoms of pneumonia, after returning from Bangkok, does not have SARS.
Yadan who follows the SARS disease
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