China Issues Directive on Treating AIDS Patients With SARS

China issued a directive Sunday on treating patients coinfected with AIDS and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and threatened to prosecute any hospital refusing to treat such patients. The directive, posted on the Ministry of Health's Web site, did not say whether any such cases have been recorded, but warned that any HIV-infected person thought to have SARS must receive immediate medical attention. "Any SARS-appointed hospital that refuses [to accept patients with HIV or AIDS] will be seriously investigated ...," the circular said. According to WHO statistics, SARS has been most fatal among elderly patients or patients with existing medical conditions that have compromised their immune systems. WHO disease experts expect that an HIV/AIDS carrier would also be extremely infectious due to their lowered state of immunity. China Sunday reported no new cases of SARS and one SARS fatality, the 14th consecutive day that fewer than 10 new SARS cases have been reported in the country. China now has reported 5,328 cases on SARS and 339 deaths.

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