Update On SARS - 7 Apr

07 Apr 2003

As at 7 April 03, 73 SARS patients have been discharged. 31 SARS patients remain hospitalised.

There were 7 additional SARS cases reported today. All are nurses; 1 from TTSH, 2 from SGH, 2 from CGH, 1 from a private nursing home and 1 radiographer from SGH.

Nurse from TTSH

A nurse from TTSH who had come into contact with a SARS patient before the patient was diagnosed with SARS was admitted on 28 Mar 03 as a suspected SARS patient. She has since been upgraded to a probable SARS.

Nurses from CGH

Two nurses from CGH have been admitted to TTSH on 5 and 6 April 03 as probable SARS cases. One had close contact with a patient before she was diagnosed with SARS and transferred to TTSH 21 March 03. This SARS patient was infected when she visited her sister in TTSH. At that time, a SARS patient who had yet been diagnosed was in warded next to her sister at TTSH. CGH had put the whole ward staff on voluntary quarantine and were followed up closely. On 2 April 02, the nurse who had attended to the SARS patient was admitted to a single room at CGH as the clinical picture then was suggestive of dengue fever. She was later diagnosed as a probable SARS when her third chest x-ray showed changes. Her colleague who attended to her when she admitted, and has now been diagnosed with SARS.

Private nursing home

A nurse from a private nursing home was admitted to CGH on 4 April 03 for pneumonia and transferred to TTSH on 6 April 03 for probable SARS. He is now in serious condition in intensive care.

His girlfriend, who is also a nurse at the same nursing home, was admitted to TTSH on 7 April 03 as a suspected SARS. Her condition is stable.

Investigations have revealed that a resident of the nursing home was admitted to CGH on 25 March 03 and died of pneumonia on 30 March 03. This nursing home resident had been earlier discharged from TTSH on 23 March 03 for non-SARS related condition. When the patient was in TTSH she was warded next to a patient who was later diagnosed as a SARS case. The male nurse from the nursing home had been attending to this resident.

Update on cluster of SGH staff

Arising from the transfer of staff and patients of SGH Wards 57 and 58, a total of 29 have been admitted to the SARS wards. Of these, there are 4 probable SARS cases (a doctor and 2 nurses), 18 suspected SARS cases and 7 admitted for observation. They are all stable.

There were a total of 346 patients who were discharged from Wards 57 & 58 during the period 20 March - 5 April 03. So far, 284 have been contacted about their well being. All of them including their immediate family members and friends who visited them when they were in SGH are well.

As an assurance, visitors who went to Wards 57 and 58 at SGH from 20 Mar to 5 Apr 03 may call SGH hotline at 6321-3591 between 8.00am and 10.00pm for free health checks to ensure their well-being. Investigations are on-going to determine the source of infection for these hospital staff.

Two deaths

Two SARS patients in intensive care passed away today. One is the mother of the first index case and the other a TTSH doctor who had attended to a SARS patient before she had been diagnosed with SARS. This patient has since passed away on 29 March 03.

Health screening for incoming air passengers

Today, 7 passengers from affected areas required further screening by the nurses at the airport. None were referred to TTSH for further assessment.

No passenger vessels that had a travel history to SARS affected areas in the last 10 days arrived today.

Safeguarding our public transport

The Ministry would like to reiterate that we have taken steps to safeguard our public transport system. There is thus no need for commuters to avoid taxis, buses or the MRT in fear of contracting SARS.

Special arrangements have been made for four categories of persons with a higher likelihood of getting SARS:

(a) Persons with Home Quarantine Order who would have come into direct contact with a SARS patient

(b) Cases identified by General Practitioners and private dentists

(c) Incoming passengers from affected countries who received a Health Alert Notice; and

(d) Cases identified during medical screening at Changi Airport and Singapore Cruise Centre

People belonging to any of the above categories who develop SARS symptoms should call the hotline number that they have been given. Upon receiving such calls, MOH will arrange for a private ambulance to pick them up and send them to TTSH directly for medical assessment. These people should not take public transport or call relatives for transport arrangements.

Summary of SARS cases

To date, the total number of people diagnosed with SARS is 113. Among these are 3 children below 18 years of age. Out of the 31 patients still hospitalised, 12 are in intensive care. Since yesterday, there were two deaths and 1 new admission to intensive care who is the nurse from the private nursing home.

Apart from the first imported case, the 6 other imported cases have not given rise to any SARS cases.

The number of suspect cases admitted is 73, including 3 children (below 18 years old). The number of people under Home Quarantine Orders is 133.

Expanded list for travel advisory

MOH urges the public to heed World Health Organisation (WHO)'s advice to postpone travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong until another time. We would also like to advise the public to avoid travel to other SARS affected areas - Shanxi, Taiwan, Hanoi and Toronto, unless absolutely necessary.