Countries fight to stem Sars

Countries around the world are stepping efforts to halt the spread of the pneumonia-like Sars virus, which has now killed more than 270 people.

Countries around the world are stepping efforts to halt the spread of the pneumonia-like Sars virus, which has now killed more than 270 people. France is introducing new laws that could require suspected sufferers to be hospitalised against their will. China, the worst-hit country and source of the outbreak, announced it would spend more than $400m on a nationwide health network to tackle the virus, and sealed off a second hospital. Singapore has introduced isolation and electronic tagging of suspected sufferers, with a threat of jail for those who violate quarantines. Asian health officials meeting in Malaysia have proposed strict pre-travel screening at borders, and travel bans on suspected Sars sufferers. The Philippines reported its first two deaths from the disease on Friday. Officials in Canada – the only country outside of Asia to record Sars-related deaths – continue to reject World Health Organization (WHO) warnings against travel to its largest city, Toronto. The country recorded its 19th Sars victim, a 64-year-old woman, on Friday. Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that he would hold Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Toronto rather than the capital Ottawa. Revised death rateThe World Health Organization has estimated the death rate from Sars may have risen to between 5 and 6%, up from its original estimate of 4%. But other experts are suggesting the death rate could be higher, perhaps as much as double the WHO estimate. The New Scientist magazine suggests that in some of the worst-hit cities, the death rate has been between 13% and 19% of “resolved cases” – those where a patient either dies or recovers. The magazine says the overall death rate may turn out to be around 10%, comparable to some similar viruses. A study is set to be published looking in detail at how many will die. Mainland China and Hong Kong’s death tolls rose to 115 each on Friday. Officials from a dozen Asian nations plus Canada are expected to release draft proposals on Saturday, for health ministers to discuss in a second day of talks in Kuala Lumpur. Travel ban In Beijing, a second major hospital treating more than 100 Sars patients has been sealed off. A doctor inside Ditan Hospital, a major centre for the control of infectious diseases, told the BBC no-one was allowed to enter or leave the building. However, some medical staff were reported to have gone home. A Beijing health official said a further 4,000 individuals believed to have had contact with suspected Sars sufferers had been ordered to stay at home under quarantine. All migrant workers and students have been ordered to remain in Beijing, but train stations remained packed on Friday with people trying to leave. Beijing authorities have denied rumours they were planning to introduce martial law. Vice Premier Wu Yi said China would spend 3.5 billion yuan ($420m) setting up a nationwide health network to fight Sars and other medical emergencies. Another 2 billion yuan ($240m) would be earmarked to pay for emergency care for Sars patients who could not afford to pay for treatment, said Mr Wu. The BBC’s Holly Williams in Beijing says after months of knowing about the virus, suddenly the Chinese Government is taking Sars seriously. But she says it is causing a growing sense of panic among the public, with people stockpiling rice, salt and cooking oil – forcing prices to rise sharply. The Chinese health ministry on Friday announced five more deaths from Sars. Three were in Beijing, taking the capital’s toll to 42. The ministry also announced 180 new cases in eight provinces across China. Taiwan has imposed a strict quarantine at a hospital in Taipei, with about 1,000 doctors, nurses and patients ordered to stay put for up to two weeks. It has sparked anger among medical staff, with some of them reportedly refusing to treat patients suspected as having the virus. The virus, which has no known cure, is believed to have emerged in China’s southern Guangdong province last November. Air India had to cancel five flights on Friday when pilots refused to fly with cabin crew who had been to Sars-affected countries in the last 10 days. This came as the Dutch airline KLM and Japan Airlines both announced they were reducing the number of flights to China due to a drop in demand.(Source: BBC, Friday, 25 April, 2003, 22:00 GMT 23:00 UK )