Three suspected SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) patients in Beijing were diagnosed as SARS patients but no new suspected or diagnosed SARS cases were reported for the 24 hours from 10 am Monday to 10 am Tuesday, Chinese Ministry of Health announced in Beijing Tuesday.

The three diagnosed SARS patients include father of the first diagnosed SARS patient in Beijing this year, surnamed Li, her ward mate and the person looking after her ward mate, the ministry said.

On Monday afternoon, the three suspected SARS patients were diagnosed as SARS patients through tests of their blood serum by an expert team in Beijing as well as their clinical manifestation and epidemiological history, the ministry said.

The diagnosed SARS patient in Anhui, surnamed Song, is also in stable condition and has had normal temperature for 11 days and the experts team in Anhui said she can be discharged from hospital in a few days, according to the ministry.

At present 89 of the people with close contact with her have been freed from medical observation, the ministry said.

Since April 22, two diagnosed SARS cases were reported in Anhui, seven in Beijing and no diagnosed or suspected cases were reported in other provinces.

Meanwhile, Beijing's first confirmed SARS patient Li has recovered and was discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

The SARS patient Li is a 20-year-old female nurse in Beijing's Jiangong Hospital. She had symptoms of fever, cough and trembling on April 5, and was hospitalized on April 7 before her transfer to the Intensive Care Unit of the Renmin Hospital attached to prestigious Beijing University on April 14.

Li was finally confirmed as SARS patient on April 22.

The Ministry of Health said medical examinations showed Li had been connected epidemiologically with the SARS case in Anhui. During the hospitalization of the Anhui patient in Beijing Jiangong Hospital, it was Li who took care of the patient from March 29 to April 2.

Now only one of the six diagnosed SARS patients in Beijing is in serious condition, and the rest five are recovering, hospital sources said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2004)