WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- In a sign that China is still losing the fight to contain its SARS epidemic, the new mayor of Beijing says designated hospitals don't have room for all the people believed to have the disease.
Mayor Wang Qishan, however, denied rumors that martial law was about to be imposed on the city of 13 million, or that aircraft would be dusting the city with anti-SARS medications, the Associated Press reports.
He said that 21 Beijing hospitals treating SARS patients are overwhelmed and don't have enough beds to accommodate all the cases. Wang said the situation in Beijing is severe and the coming week will be critical in tracking the development of the severe acute respiratory syndrome.
There are 1,448 reported SARS cases in Beijing and about 9,000 people under quarantine.
In an effort to deal with the crush of SARS patients, a new 1,000-bed hospital for SARS patients has been constructed in a northern Beijing suburb. Workers labored around the clock to build the hospital, which was completed in eight days, The New York Times reports.
The first 195 patients were expected to arrive there Wednesday night. The new facility will be run by military doctors.
China is the country hardest hit by SARS. There were 11 new SARS deaths reported Wednesday and 166 new cases. So far, China has 3,460 reported SARS cases and 159 deaths, BBC News Online reports.
As of Wednesday, the worldwide SARS death toll was 373, and there were at least 5,400 cases reported in more than 20 countries.
In Hong Kong, health officials reported a worrisome development -- 12 people suffered SARS relapses after doctors had declared them recovered from the disease and discharged them from hospitals, the AP reports.
Six of the people have recovered from their relapses, but the other six are still in hospitals, all of them listed in good condition.
A Hong Kong microbiologist told the AP the relapses weren't surprising, given how little health experts know about the SARS virus. The relapse cases are being studied.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong officials reported 17 news SARS cases and seven more deaths Wednesday. The death toll there is now 157 people.
In the United States, which has 52 probable SARS cases, the government has launched a push to develop vaccines and drugs against the virus, to be prepared if the disease turns into a global pandemic, the Washington Post reports.
U.S. government scientists said they're moving rapidly in a number of areas to start research into SARS treatment and prevention, with vaccines a special focus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Post he doesn't think SARS is going to fizzle out. He said the world is in the midst of the evolution of a new disease and now is the time to make strategic decisions about public health.
On another front, the U.S. government is ready to ship to laboratories the first experimental tests that may help doctors diagnose people with SARS, AP reports.
And a new survey shows that most Americans know enough about SARS to take proper precautions if they suspect they may have the virus. That includes calling their doctor or agreeing to be quarantined in their homes or a hospital.
Meanwhile, a high school student in New Rochelle, N.Y., a New York City suburb, was released from the hospital Tuesday after she was treated for a possible case of SARS. The teen spent April 13 to 17 visiting Toronto, the most SARS-affected area outside of Asia, Gannett's Journal News reports.
In Toronto, an international conference on the disease was to be held Wednesday. Experts from the United States, Europe and Asia were to meet with their Canadian counterparts to discuss the science, research, and spread of SARS, CBC News reports.
In an effort to boost spirits in the city and show the world that it's a safe place to visit, the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team held a special promotion Tuesday night for their game with the Texas Rangers. The team sold about 34,000 tickets for $1 Canadian (about 69 cents U.S.). Total attendance at the game was 48,097 people.
More information
For more information on SARS, visit the World Health
Organization or the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
