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To: EL KABONG!!! who wrote (30311)	3/28/2003 3:09:07 AM
From: EL KABONG!!!	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

online.wsj.com Hong Kong Sets Quarantines To Halt Respiratory Disease By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Hong Kong ordered mass quarantines and closed schools for a week to contain what appeared to be an accelerating number of new cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Scientists at Hong Kong University, meanwhile, confirmed SARS is caused by a new strain of coronavirus, and said they have developed a conclusive DNA-based test that more quickly finds the disease in patients. Tung Chee Hwa, Hong Kong's governmental leader, said the emergency quarantine will go into effect Monday. He urged about 1,080 people with close contact to those who have the disease to remain at home, except for mandatory daily medical checkups. Those who break the 10-day quarantine could face a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$641), hospital quarantine, or jail. Government health officials also are monitoring about 600 others with a medium risk of contracting the disease, which has afflicted 370 people -- 51 more than Wednesday -- and killed 11 in the city. World-wide, more than 1,400 people are believed to have contracted SARS, with 54 dead as of Thursday. The World Health Organization on Thursday stepped up its travel alert, calling for increased screening of travelers from areas significantly affected by SARS. Taipei, meanwhile, declared a full medical alert after a major Taiwanese engineering company temporarily closed, suspecting five employees of coming down with the pneumonia-like disease after traveling in mainland China. In Singapore, four new cases brought the total to 78, including two deaths. "The present situation is serious," Mr. Tung said, responding to criticism that Hong Kong moved too slowly at combating SARS. "It is imperative for us to adopt more effective measures to prevent the virus from further spreading." The shutdown of schools follows a similar move by Singapore on Wednesday. Only Hong Kong's universities will remain open during the closure, which will last from Saturday through April 6. So far, 14 students have caught SARS, although none of the infections was passed on at the schools. Scientists at Hong Kong University said they have evidence, independently confirmed by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., that SARS is caused by a previously unknown strain of coronavirus, a family of highly contagious viruses that causes a wide range of diseases such as the common cold and other upper-respiratory tract infections. The scientists asked that the disease be renamed coronavirus pneumonia, or CVP. Researchers in Germany and at the Chinese University of Hong Kong had identified a different virus from the paramyxovirus family, which includes the measles virus, among patients with the disease. But scientists now suspect this virus may play a secondary, perhaps opportunistic, role in patients with SARS. A new test will be available to Hong Kong doctors on Friday that is based on DNA data of the coronavirus strain. The test, which searches for the presence of the virus in the blood, can deliver results in eight hours and is considered highly conclusive. Older tests could only search for antibodies -- the human response to the presence of the virus in the bloodstream. The faster test also allows for early treatment in patients, which has proven a life-or-death factor in some cases. Also, with the virus isolated, scientists now can test drug treatments in a laboratory environment. Current treatment involves a cocktail of antiviral drugs and steroids, which officials said had helped in 80% of the cases. Malik Peiris, a microbiology professor at Hong Kong University, said the coronavirus can survive in open air for a few hours. The disease can be inhaled or transmitted by handshakes and simple contact such as pressing an elevator button previously handled by a disease victim. Hong Kong officials urged the public to maintain proper ventilation and personal hygiene. The virus scare has given Hong Kong the feeling of a hospital ward. The Rolling Stones postponed a pair of weekend concerts because of the fears, and rugby teams from France, Italy and Argentina pulled out of a tournament. Singapore Airlines said it won't rule out cutting flights to destinations affected by the illness, saying travelers are canceling trips amid fears of the disease. UBS Warburg cut its investment rating on Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's No. 1 carrier, citing the effect of SARS on the region's travel industry. Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com Updated March 27, 2003 3:29 p.m. KJC