The first frontline worker in the fight against atypical pneumonia from the Hospital Authority died at Tuen Mun Hospital this morning. He was a nurse, aged 38. Senior Executive Manager Dr Liu Shao-haei said the Authority was saddened by this loss.

Dr Liu said the nurse was "dedicated selflessly to treating people" and that he had contracted the illness in late March when he was attending a patient. He was admitted on April 3 but did not respond well to treatment.

The Authority will allocate money from its Charity Fund to finance the funeral arrangements and will do its best to help his family with whatever needs they may have.

"He has demonstrated a high level of professionalism, dedication and devotion to his duties," Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said in a statement. "My deepest condolence goes to his family."

A statement from the Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong said he was saddened by the death of the nurse.

"I grieve at the loss of a committed medical staff and express my deepest condolences to his family," Dr Yeoh said.

17 new cases, 18 discharged from hospital

As at 1pm today, 17 new patients in public hospitals were confirmed to have atypical pneumonia. A total of 632 patients - more than 41% of all confirmed cases - have recovered and been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 18 were sent home today.

The new confirmed cases include three healthcare workers (one from Caritas Medical Centre, one from Tai Po Hospital and one from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital). The remaining 14 are other patients and contacts of patients with atypical pneumonia.

Most of the 774  patients currently in hospital are responding positively to the new treatment protocol. Of them, 101, about 13%, are receiving treatment in intensive-care units.

Another 129 patients are recovering in convalescence, in preparation for discharge.

Six patients, including the nurse, died in the last day.

A 70-year-old man with chronic illness died in Caritas Medical Centre; a woman, aged 45 and a man, aged 40, died in Princess Margaret Hospital;  another man, aged 61, died at Tuen Mun Hospital; and a man, aged 28, died at United Christian Hospital.

This brought to 121 the number of deaths relating to atypical pneumonia.

Cautious optimism

Speaking at the daily press briefing, the Director of Health said that although the number of new cases has fallen, Hong Kong must not relax its efforts to fight the disease.

"For the past while, more than a week or so, the figure in terms of daily new cases has been fluctuating between 20 and 30," Dr Margaret Chan said. "This is the first day it is running in the teens. We hope this trend will continue and that it will go even lower."

She added that Hong Kong would not relax its vigilance. "We will continue to carry out our robust measures. Experience in the past shows us that with a new disease, it is sometimes unpredicatable."

Still, she expressed some hope. "I'm confident that the trend will get better and better. I'm sure you're convinced that we've put in tough measures, at the border and so on, to prevent the spread of the disease. Having said that, I'd like to be cautious. I don't want to give people the impression that we can begin to celebrate ... the message is we must maintain our efforts to fight this terrible disease."

She noted that while Ribavirin and steroids are still the first line of treatment, some patients do not respond positively to it. This was the case of the 28-year-old man who died, the youngest SARS victim in Hong Kong to date.

Healthcare workers given guidelines

Dr Liu noted there were several reasons that healthcare workers fell ill with the disease.

Some patients do not display obvious symptoms, he said. Some healthcare workers may not be cautious enough, especially when doing high-risk procedures. Others do not pay enough attention to protocol because they are focused on attending to patients.

"We have issued guidelines asking them to be extra cautious," Dr Liu said. Disciplinary teams have also been introduced to provide true supervision.

Tung Tau Estate situation levels off

The situation at the Hing Tung House in Tung Tau Estate in Wong Tai Sin appears to have stabilised, although investigators are still looking into the outbreak there. The last case from the block showed symptoms on April 15, and there have been no new cases.

Environmental swabs taken on April 12 showed no irregularities, either.  

To alleviate public concern, Dr Chan said the Government would send in teams to thoroughly disinfect all the units numbered 14 as well as the adjoining units numbered 15.  

The Department of Health is also sending frontline workers tonight to put together a seminar for the benefit of all the residents.

Incoming passengers at all arrival points get temperature checks

Starting from today, all incoming passengers at all arrival points are subject to a body temperature check. At the busy Lo Wu boundary crossing, 15 overhead infrared scanners have been installed.

A five-year-old child, a local Hong Kong resident, showed some symptoms at the Lo Wu boundary control point and was referred to hospital. Doctors suspect he has contracted regular pneumonia, not SARS.

Home confinement operates smoothly

Up to now,  330 households have been put under home confinement, affecting 856 people. One more warning letter was sent out to someone who breached the order, bringing the total to 35.

* Department of Health staff will distribute pamphlets to residents as well as drivers and passengers of buses and minibuses in Tai Po tomorrow, to enhance publicity on effective prevention against atypical pneumonia.

Volunteers of the Scout Association of Hong Kong will assist. Pamphlets will be distributed from 10am to 5pm at the Tai Po Market KCR station concourse, the Tai Wo KCR station concourse and Tai Po Plaza.