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| SARS ruled out for New Zealander in isolation |
| CCTV.COM 2003-04-22 09:04:00 |
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A man in Dunedin of the South Island suffering from a severe form of pneumonia does not have severe acute respiratory syndrome （SARS）, New Zealand Press Association quoted his wife as saying Tuesday.
Geoffrey Vine, 63, was Monday night still in Dunedin Hospital, where he has been in isolation since Friday after falling ill while travelling from London to Dunedin via Bali, Brisbane and Auckland.
His wife Gillian said the specialist treating her husband had ruled out SARS but was unable to diagnose the exact cause of his illness.
"All they've been able to say is that it's a typical pneumonia, other than that they have said nothing," Mrs. Vine said.
Mr. Vine's symptoms included a high temperature, difficulty breathing, a very bad headache and dizziness. Ruling out SARS was a "huge relief" to the couple, Mrs. Vine said. "Having said that, I knew that he did not fit all of the criteria （for SARS）, but we were still doubtful because it's still an emerging disease."
The couple had hoped Mr. Vine, who was slowly improving, could go home to recover on Sunday, but the hospital had not said when he could leave isolation.
Mrs. Vine and medical staff were the only people allowed to visit him, and all were required to wear full protective clothing, including masks, gloves and glasses. A Dunedin Hospital spokesman was unable to confirm that SARS had been ruled out for Mr. Vine.
The hospital was limited in what it could say because of patient confidentiality, the spokesman said. There have been several SARS scares in New Zealand but so far no confirmed cases yet.
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Editor: Zhao Xuan Source:Xinhua
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