World Health Organization (WHO) infection control expert Cathryn Murphy stressed on the importance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infection control in hospitals at a lecture given to health care staff in the Macao Special Administrative Region Sunday.

On the theme of "Infection Control Measures to Prevent Transmission of SARS," the lecture came right on time as medical staff in hospitals in Macao were mobilized in SARS training.

"We have all attended SARS training given by our hospital. We would like to hear what new information a WHO expert would give us," said Caroline Lou, head nurse in the Cerebral Surgery Department of the Government Hospital of Macao.

Murphy said that WHO has got in the research of SARS. She said that approximately 6,054 cases in 27 countries were confirmed as on May 2, 2003, and a significant number of cases have been in health care workers.

She stressed that it is both important for medical staff to learn to define suspect SARS cases as early as possible, and to make sufficient infection control measures to protect themselves, other patients and the environment.

The expert from the Department of Health of New South Wales, Australia, said that the concerns for Macao is that its surrounding regions have been infected, and that is why WHO has attached such an importance by sending two experts including herself to coordinate in the disease prevention within two months.

She told medical staff that once a hospital admits a SARS patient, it should limit the number of medical workers on duty and the use of facilities to reduce the chance of infection.

For possible SARS patients who do not demonstrate identical symptoms such as high fever and the shortness of breath, it is unnecessary to admit them into isolation wards in hospital. They can receive isolated home quarantine, Murphy said.

She is expected to give assessment and advices on Macao's SARS preparedness after she concluded her four-day inspection on May 5. She will fly to Beijing to join other WHO experts on the next day.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2003)