Southeast Asia reports 21 new SARS deaths

BEIJING -- Karaoke parlors, movie theaters and discos shut their doors Sunday under orders from Beijing officials trying to contain the spread of SARS, which claimed more lives in the Chinese capital, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore.

As Beijing health officials recorded eight new deaths and said as many as 2,300 people might be infected, hundreds of construction workers labored around the clock to build a 1,000-bed isolation ward for SARS patients. A ninth person died elsewhere in mainland China, bringing its total to 131, and 12 more died in Hong Kong.

Taiwan, which reported its first SARS death, imposed a mandatory 10-day quarantine on travelers from areas affected by the virus -- including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and Toronto -- but did not announce where those travelers would stay while quarantined.

Those violating the quarantine, including foreigners, can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to $8,600, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said.

Singapore said it would close dozens of food markets and ban visits to public hospitals to contain its outbreak.

SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, has killed 318 people from Beijing to Toronto in the past several months and sickened more than 4,800 others worldwide. There have been no SARS deaths in the United States.

Beijing hardest-hitBeijing has been the hardest-hit locality, with 56 deaths and 1,114 confirmed cases. Another 1,191 people in the capital are suspected of harboring the virus, the Health Ministry said.

Beijing has sealed off three hospitals in a mass quarantine of patients and staff, and 7,600 people who may have been exposed have been ordered to stay home. The city's public schools also are closed, affecting 1.7 million students.

On Sunday, Beijing authorities ordered all entertainment venues -- theaters, Internet cafes and clubs -- shut to "stop possible spread of the SARS virus and ensure public health," the official Xinhua New Agency said.

A sign outside a movie theater in eastern Beijing read: "Cultural and entertainment spaces are temporarily closed for business beginning today. Thank you for understanding."

At South Cathedral, a sign in English pasted on the door said Mass was suspended for one month due to city rules requiring that "all congregations greater than 50 be canceled." An accompanying sign in Chinese said only that services were canceled "to ensure the health of parishioners and clergy."

It was unclear how many jobs would be affected by the closures in the city of 13 million people, whose economy depends heavily on the service industry.

But the SARS panic boosted business at markets and stores selling videos as city dwellers stocked up and stayed home Sunday.

Public parks and popular tourist spots such as Tiananmen Square and the imperial palace were empty because of a ban on Chinese tour groups traveling outside their home provinces. The government cut back the weeklong May Day holiday and has discouraged the Chinese from traveling.

Beijing's airport and train stations, however, were jammed with migrants workers and foreign students and residents returning to their home countries.

The city also raised the fine for spitting in public -- thought to be a means of SARS transmission -- to 50 yuan, the equivalent of $6, a 1,000 percent jump.

Hong Kong reported 12 new SARS deaths, matching its previous one-day high, but health officials said the number of new infections dropped Sunday to 16, its lowest figure in weeks.

"The figures of infection have shown a slightly downward trend," Health Director Dr. Margaret Chan said. "But we dare not to make any predictions -- this disease has shown big fluctuations."

SARS has sickened 1,543 people and killed 133 in Hong Kong, and local business has been badly hurt by the outbreak.

Singapore said a prominent 37-year-old surgeon who died last week was classified a SARS victim Sunday. His death was the 22nd in Singapore out of 199 cases.

The Health Ministry said it would shut food markets on Monday and ban visits to public hospitals Tuesday to prevent the virus' spread.

"Anything we can do to keep the situation under control, we will do it," Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang said.

India reported its sixth SARS case Sunday, but has had no deaths.

Canada has had 20 SARS death in the largest outbreak outside Asia, prompting the World Health Organization to warn travelers to avoid Toronto.

In Washington, a top federal health official said the United States was "just ahead of the curve" and able so far to avoid large numbers of SARS cases.

"There are no new signs that it's spreading in any escalating way" in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said Sunday.

There have been SARS 41 cases in the United States, but no deaths.

The WHO director said Sunday there still was time to arrest the global spread of SARS if affected countries took appropriate measures such as airport checks and travel warnings.

"I think we still have a window of opportunity. ... At the moment, we still have a chance to contain it and to have it go down in the places where outbreaks are already happening and avoid it spreading to new countries," Gro Harlem Brundtland told the British Broadcasting Corp. television program "Breakfast with Frost."

Thailand said it would host a meeting Tuesday of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other Asian nations on how to cope with SARS -- but will require attendees to submit health certificates verifying they are free of the disease.

SARS Q&A

Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, has worried health officials across the world, with more than 4,000 infected, mostly in Asia. More than 300 people have died. Here is what is known so far:

How do you get SARS?Scientists believe the main way SARS spreads is by person-to-person contact, such as touching the skin of an infected person or objects that are contaminated by them -- through sneezes or coughs -- and then touching your eye, nose or mouth. It is also possible that SARS can be spread through the air or by other ways not yet known.

Can you get it traveling by plane?

Most cases of SARS are found among people who have had direct close contact with an infected person, such as a family member or a health-care worker who treated an ill person. SARS also has occurred among air travelers, primarily travelers to and from Hong Kong, Hanoi, Singapore and mainland China.

Where is SARS appearing?Primarily in Asia -- China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. But also in Toronto and more than 20 other countries, including the United States.

How do you know if you've got it?

The illness usually begins with a fever, with temperature higher than 100.4 F, and sometimes chills, headaches, a general feeling of discomfort and body aches. Later, patients may develop a dry, nonproductive cough.

How long does it take to get it?Answer: It usually takes between two and seven days for symptoms to appear after exposure, though some reports have said it can take as long as 10 days.

What should I do if I think I may have it?

Contact your doctor or a health care provider. Explain any recent travel to regions where SARS has been reported and whether you were in close contact with someone who had these symptoms.

How can I keep from getting it?Since SARS is an infectious disease, traditional methods of avoiding such illnesses are advised -- with careful and frequent washing of hands with soap and water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest avoiding contact with large numbers of people.

Do masks over the mouth help?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend the routine use of masks while in public areas. If you have to be in close proximity to an infected person, a doctor will advise you on what mask to wear.

How deadly is it?So far, 5.9 percent of people who got sick worldwide have died, according to the CDC. Hong Kong health officials revised their rate to 7.2 percent of all reported cases from about 5 percent earlier.

What treatment is there?

Scientists are trying antiviral drugs as well as steroids. But so far, patients are given the same supportive treatment as they would for any serious pneumonia of unknown cause, which involves good diet and medication to ease chest pain.

What causes SARS?Experts say the cause is a previously unknown coronavirus, one of a family of viruses that ordinarily causes colds in people and more serious diseases in animals.

Is there a cure?

None has been identified yet.

-- AP