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No reason for panic in SA
14/04/2003 12:59 - (SA)
Pretoria - A Pretoria businessman possibly suffering from the potentially deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), is "much better", hospital operator Netcare said on Monday.
"He is really improving quite nicely. His condition is much better," Netcare spokesperson Mande Toubkin said.
The patient was still on a ventilator and being treated in isolation.
Initial tests for the corona virus, believed to cause Sars, had been negative. More tests were, however, being conducted by the National Institute for Virology.
These results should be known some time this week.
The 62-year-old man returned from a trip to Hong Kong on March 27. He developed symptoms of the disease on April 3 and was admitted to the Pretoria East Hospital on Monday.
During that time he had unprotected contact with 17 people - eight family members, three staff members at a pharmacy, his general practitioner and five medics at the hospital's casualty ward. All these people were being monitored.
Toubkin sought to assure other patients in the Pretoria East Hospital and visitors that they were free of any risk.
"There appears to be some panic about the matter, but people don't need to be afraid," she said.
"The patient is in isolation. There is no risk for any patient or visitor entering the hospital.
The disease, also described as atypical pneumonia, has infected more than 3 000 people in several countries and killed over 100.
It originated in southern China in November and was believed to have spread through the world by air travellers.
- SAPA
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