Couple tested for SARS illness

An elderly couple have been admitted to hospital in Dundee with suspected cases of the respiratory illness SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

An elderly couple have been admitted to hospital in Dundee with suspected cases of the respiratory illness SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).The couple, from Angus, had recently returned from a holiday in Hong Kong, where the virus has killed dozens of people in recent months. Both have been admitted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee as a precaution and have been isolated from other patients. Health officials said they are carrying out precautionary tests on the couple but said it was unlikely they are suffering from the condition. A consultant at the hospital has said X-rays have shown no sign of the infection. Public health measures three probable cases of SARS have come to light in the UK. Elsewhere, more than 70 people have died from the illness in the past fortnight and more than 2,000 others have been infected. The Foreign Office has warned UK citizens to put off travelling to Hong Kong and China’s southern Guangdong province, the main areas affected. NHS Tayside Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dr Mike Roworth said all appropriate public health measures had been taken and investigations were continuing. “At this stage it is not possible to rule out SARS as a diagnosis so it is only prudent to regard these as suspected cases, in line with guidance recently issued by SCIEH (Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health) and the Department of Health,” Dr Roworth said. “In the circumstances we believe it is wise to be cautious. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely while efforts continue to produce a definitive diagnosis.” (Source: BBC Onlie)