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The following is jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority:
As at 1 pm today (April 17), there is an additional 29 patients confirmed to have atypical pneumonia following admission to public hospitals earlier. They include nine healthcare workers (three from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, three from Prince of Wales Hospital, one from Princess Margaret Hospital, one from United Christian Hospital and one from Shatin Hospital). The remaining 20 were other patients and contacts of patients with atypical pneumonia.
A total of 272 patients have recovered from atypical pneumonia and have been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 15 were discharged today.
Most of the patients currently in hospital are showing positive responses to the new treatment protocol. One hundred and eighteen patients are receiving treatment in intensive care unit.
Four patients died in hospitals, bring to 65 the total number of deaths relating to atypical pneumonia. A female and a male, both aged 69 and with a history of chronic disease, died in Tuen Mun Hospital. A 39-year-old female died in United Christian Hospital. Another chronically ill male patient, aged 42, died in Tseung Kwan O Hospital.
The cumulative figure for patients who have been admitted to public hospitals with atypical pneumonia since March 12 is as follows:
| Nature | Cumulative Number | Total No. of Discharged Patients | Total No. of Deaths * |
| Health care workers of Hospitals/Clinics and medical students | 307 | 102 | 65 |
| Patients, family members & visitors | 990 | 170 | |
| Total | 1297 | 272 |
| * | Most of the deaths occurred in individuals who have a history of chronic diseases, or were patients who sought treatment at a relatively late stage of infection. |
End/Thursday, April 17, 2003
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