Beijing's first confirmed SARS patient Li is expected to leave hospital in a matter of 10 days as her condition turns normal steadily, said Han Demin, deputy director of the Beijing Health Bureau on Friday.

"Li has reported normal temperature for 14 consecutive days and her physique indices are quite normal," said Han.

So far, five SARS cases and four suspected SARS cases have been spotted on the Chinese mainland over the past week since April 22. Of the five confirmed cases, two were reported in eastern Anhui province and three in the capital of Beijing. The four suspected cases are now in Beijing.

Of the four suspected cases, the patient surnamed Zhang was in a critical condition, and an expert team from Beijing has been set up specially to treat her in the Ditan Hospital, while all other SARS cases in the capital are all recovering, said Han.

"Next week is a crucial period for those in contact with the SARS cases. If they are not found with any disease symptoms, such as fever and cough, they can be said in relatively safe situation, " said Han, former president of Beijing's Tongren Hospital, one of most famed hospitals in Beijing. Han was appointed to his current post almost one year ago.

The SARS patient Li is a 20-year-old female nurse in Beijing's Jiangong Hospital. She had symptoms of fever, cough and trembling on April 5, and was hospitalized on April 7 before her transfer to the Intensive Care Unit of the Renmin Hospital attached to prestigious Beijing University on April 14.

Li was finally confirmed as SARS patient on April 22.

The Ministry of Health said medical examinations showed Li had been connected epidemiologically with the SARS case in Anhui. During the hospitalization of the Anhui patient in Beijing Jiangong Hospital, it was Li who took care of her from March 29 to April 2, according to the ministry.

The confirmed SARS patient in Anhui was a 26-year-old female postgraduate surnamed Song at Anhui Medical University. She worked at a Beijing laboratory of the institute of virus diseases under the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) from March 7 to 22.

Medical experts held the SARS cases in the Chinese mainland might have been caused by lab infection. So far, the respiratory departments of the People's Hospital and Jiangong Hospital and the Institute of Virology under the CDC have all been isolated and all staffers in contact in the affected areas been quarantined.

"Beijing residents don't need to fear for going to the hospital. All the special fever clinics in Beijing hospitals have been disinfected and checked on a daily basis. They are all safe and cannot be turned into the infection sources of SARS virus," added Han.

Beijing has stepped up SARS preventative measures and spared no effort in preventing hospitals from infections and protecting health workers.

So far, Han acknowledged, the epidemic survey for SARS in Beijing was quick and accurate and saved much time for the whole campaign to contain the disease as the medical staff involved had undergone training and received directives from the experienced experts in dealing with SARS.

"So, Beijing is now a safe enclave, where millions of local residents and tourists from both at home and overseas will have a very joyous and safe holiday," Han said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2004)