No confirmed SARS cases in Indonesia, team declares<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the rapid increase in the number of suspected cases of
\nSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) here, there have been no
\nconfirmed cases of the disease, a government official said.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health conducted clinical tests and X-ray
\nverifications on suspected SARS patients on Wednesday, the
\nresults of which were announced on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Syafei Ahmad, the spokesman for the verification team, said on
\nThursday that the number of suspected SARS patients had risen to
\n24, but none had been positively identified as having the
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Thirteen of the suspected SARS patients have been discharged
\nfrom the hospital. However, they are still required to report to
\ntheir local health officials periodically.<\/p>\n
One of the suspected SARS patients who was discharged has
\nreportedly died, but it is unclear if the death was the result of
\nSARS.<\/p>\n
Eight suspected SARS patients are being treated at the
\nSulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in North Jakarta,
\none at Adam Malik Hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, one at
\nMuwardi Hospital in Surakarta, Central Java, and one at Banyumas
\nHospital in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Syafei said his team had adopted criteria established by the
\nWorld Health Organization (WHO) for classifying SARS cases as
\nsuspected, probable or confirmed.<\/p>\n
A suspected SARS case refers to a person who, since Feb. 1,
\n2003, has had a history of fever above 38 degrees Celsius, shows
\none or more respiratory symptoms, including a cough, shortness of
\nbreath and difficulty breathing. They might also have had close
\ncontact with a person diagnosed with SARS and might have traveled
\nwithin 10 days of the onset of symptoms to a SARS-affected area.<\/p>\n
A probable SARS case refers to a suspected case with chest
\nX-ray findings of pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome, or
\na suspected case with unexplained respiratory illness resulting
\nin death, with an autopsy examination demonstrating the pathology
\nof respiratory distress syndrome without an identifiable cause.<\/p>\n
Confirmed SARS cases refer to people who have been clinically
\nproven to have contracted the disease.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, according to Syafei, must report to WHO if it finds
\na probable SARS case.<\/p>\n
The verification team also called on people not to
\ndiscriminate against those people who have been discharged from
\nthe hospital after being observed for possible SARS.<\/p>\n
\"Those who leave the hospital have basically been cleared of
\nthe SARS disease. So people should accept former suspected SARS
\npatients,\" Syafei said.<\/p>\n
A number of people who had been isolated in the hospital for
\nobservation for possible SARS have reportedly faced
\ndiscrimination upon their release.<\/p>\n
One such woman was refused entry to a ship in Batam, Riau, as
\nshe attempted to return to her home in Cirebon, West Java,
\nearlier this week.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, Mariani
\nReksoprodjo, said the government would issue guidelines about
\nthose who were required to wear N-95 masks and those who were
\nadvised to wear surgical masks below the N-95 standard.<\/p>\n
\"We must tell people whether they need to wear a mask or not.<\/p>\n
\"Those who are required to wear an N-95 mask are suspected
\nSARS patients and the health officials who deal with these
\npatients,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Those outside the isolation rooms can use surgical masks that
\nare below the N-95 standard, she said.<\/p>\n
The government is awaiting the delivery of at least one
\nmillion surgical masks from China.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-confirmed-sars-cases-in-indonesia-team-declares-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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