Two more SARS cases were confirmed in Hong Kong Tuesday, and none of them involved healthcare worker, according to the Department Health and Hospital Authority.
This was the 24th day in a row that Hong Kong's daily infection cases were in single digits.
Meanwhile, another two SARS patients died, bringing to 269 the total number of deaths relating to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
They include a female health care assistant of United Christian Hospital, who contracted SARS while taking care of patients. She died on Tuesday morning.
Becoming the fourth health care worker at public hospitals in Hong Kong to devote her life in the fight against SARS, the 47-year-old Lau Kam Yung was hospitalized on April 2 and transferred to intensive care unit on April 10.
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa and Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong expressed their sadness over the loss of a dedicated health care staff.
Meanwhile, the number of patients who have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals rose to 1285. Of them, nine were discharged Tuesday.
On the other hand, the number of SARS patients in intensive care unit dropped to a new low of 32 from 127 in mid-April.
These 32 cases are part of the 105 cases under treatment in hospitals. Most of the patients are showing positive responses to the treatment protocol, and 69 are recovering in convalescence and in preparation for discharge.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2003)
