Guangdong's first Sars patient this winter, a 32-year-old freelance television producer from Panyu, has fully recovered and was discharged from a Guangzhou hospital yesterday. The director of the Guangzhou No8 People's Hospital, Tang Xiaoping, said Luo Jian met conditions for his discharge set by the Health Ministry. These included being free from fever for seven days and having clear chest X-rays. Dr Tong said Luo, who was admitted on Christmas Eve and confirmed to have had Sars on Monday, had not had a fever for more than two weeks. Dozens of reporters waited to interview Luo, but he remained in his ward all day. He had earlier given interviews and spoken to the reporters through a bathroom door. Luo's doctor, Zhang Fuchun, said his patient had to return to the hospital for checks and had been advised to quarantine himself at home for two more weeks. Dr Tong said there had been no need to put the patient on a respirator or administer steroids. 'We just gave him oxygen through tubes, antibiotics, medicine for diarrhoea, and tonic,' he said. Mr Luo was admitted to hospital with respiratory problems, shadows on his lungs, low immunity and general weakness. But by Monday, tests showed he had recovered and an application was submitted to the Health Ministry for him to be discharged. Dr Tong said that Luo had not infected any other person and that all his close contacts were out of quarantine. He read a statement issued by Mr Luo saying that he had now recovered and did not want his privacy violated. The patient also said that his experience had proved the disease was 'not to be feared', and that Chinese hospitals could treat it. He added: 'The whole incident should come to an end and my identity and other personal details are not important any more.'
