10 fresh cases test positive, 12 awaited

Chennai: CM Jayalalithaa on Wednesday advised Assembly members to take a papaya a day to keep the dreaded SARS virus away. She said the disease does not spread through air but the through saliva droplets. ‘‘The members can have a papaya, a few tulsi leaves along with some black pepper a day to prevent SARS infection,’’ she said.

Kyon ki SARS bhi kabhi flu thi

New Delhi: The Indian Navy has come out with posters to make its staff, soldiers and public aware of the disease, SARS symptoms and ways to prevent it. Titled attractively as Kyun ki SARS bhi Kabhi flu thi to catch the attention of the public, the the single-page poster explains the disease and then spells out its symptoms like high fever, headache, diarrhoea as well as dizziness. Pneumonia, it warns, is a dangerous complication.

The message urges the naval staff to avoid crowded places, constantly ventilate air-conditioned rooms and not to handshake instead restrict themselves to saluting or namaste. However, it ends on a sanguine note stating that there was nothing much to panic because if common cold and flu have been handled, SARS too will be tackled in due course.

Indian taxi driver dies

Bangkok: An Indian taxi driver in Singapore, who was diagnosed as having viral fever, has died of SARS, becoming the first Indian victim of the killer disease. The 43-year-old man, who was not identified, died 11 days ago, reports quoting Singapore’s Health Ministry said. Initially he was thought to have died of viral fever but tests on his tissue samples indicated the presence of cornavirus.

TN patient out of danger

Chennai: The 44-year-old patient, Elumalai, who tested positive for SARS at the Christian Medical College Hospital here, is out of danger and will be discharged in two days, the hospital director said on Wednesday.

Punjab man tests positive

New Delhi: A 65-year old man in Punjab has tested positive for SARS in preliminary tests, Health officials said . The patient is undergoing treatment at Ram Saran Trust Hospital in Amritsar, they said, adding the case is not associated with any history of travel to a SARS-affected country or of contact with a SARS patient.

Govt nod must for release

Mumbai: In response to the Bhaskar Murthy episode, a meeting of state health authorities on Tuesday decided that patients will only be discharged with the approval of Director-General of Health Services Subhash Salunke.

TN patient out of danger

Chennai: The 44-year-old patient, Elumalai, who tested positive for SARS at the Christian Medical College Hospital here, is out of danger and will be discharged in two days, the hospital director said on Wednesday.