Quarantined foreign students swell to at least 178 in China

EPIDEMICS

Britain bids to quell flu fears
Britain announced plans Monday to vaccinate half the population against swine flu by year's end as Russian health officials warned the virus was now affecting all parts of Europe's largest country. As dozens more British students were quarantined in Beijing over fears they may have A(H1N1), Health Secretary Andy Burnham told members of the London parliament that the government expected to receive the first supplies of a vaccine next month. Russia, which had restricted the number of cases to single figures, urged all citizens to vaccinate themselves against the virus which Israel warned could hit a quarter of the population there within a matter of months. Meanwhile the worldwide death toll gathered pace with Ecuador announcing seven new fatalities and Australia reporting three new swine flu-related deaths. Britain is the worst-hit territory in Europe, with estimates of 55,000 new cases of the A(H1N1) virus last week. Burnham told the House of Commons that two contracts had already been signed with manufacturers to supply enough vaccines for the four constituent nations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. "According to their delivery schedules, we should begin receiving supplies from August, with enough becoming available for at least 30 million people by the end of the year," he said. National Health Service and social care staff would be among those in priority groups offered vaccination first, he added. Should the swine flu epidemic worsen the British economy could contract 7.5 percent this year, the Ernst and Young ITEM Club group of economists said. ITEM said the British economy would contract 4.5 percent this year, but if the A(H1N1) virus hit 50 percent of the British population and 0.4 percent of those affected died, it could shrink three percentage points more. With China desperate to contain the virus, at least 178 foreign students and teachers were in quarantine in Beijing Monday, with 10 hospitalised after testing positive for the virus. "We can confirm that a group of 107 British school children and teachers from various schools in the UK are being held in quarantine," the British embassy in Beijing said in a statement. Meanwhile, at least 71 American students also were under quarantine at the same Beijing hotel, said Nicholas Phillips, a teacher from the US state of Oregon. Phillips added there were other American students and teachers who had arrived separately, but did not know how many. The British embassy said nine British children had been diagnosed with the virus and hospitalised while Phillips said one of his American students was in hospital. China has responded aggressively to swine flu with temperature checks for arriving international passengers. There have been around 1,500 positive cases of the virus there, although no deaths have been reported. In Russia, public health chief Gennady Onishchenko said the government had registered "a sharp increase" in cases. "The virus is now not just Moscow's property but also that of the regions. "I advise maximum vaccination," he added. The ability of the virus to spread rapidly was highlighted in Croatia where the number of swine flu cases more than tripled. EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou meanwhile said in Lisbon the EU's executive arm would help members among the EU bloc's 27 nations which as yet have no vaccine stocks. Discussions were also starting for others including candidate countries like Croatia and neighbouring countries, she said. Namibia meanwhile confirmed its first two cases, health officials announced Monday. The virus first broke out in Mexico and the vast majority of the deaths have been recorded in the Americas.

by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) July 20, 2009
At least 178 foreign students and teachers were in swine flu quarantine in Beijing Monday, the British embassy and a US teacher said, with 10 hospitalised after testing positive for the virus.

The school groups were put under seven-day quarantine beginning last week at a Beijing hotel after arriving separately for a study tour, but new arrivals have caused their numbers to swell.

"We can confirm that a group of 107 British school children and teachers from various schools in the UK are being held in quarantine in a hotel in Beijing," the British embassy in Beijing said in a statement.

Meanwhile, at least 71 American students also were under quarantine at the hotel, said Nicholas Phillips, a teacher from the US state of Oregon.

Phillips said his group numbered 71 but added there were other American students and teachers who had arrived separately. He did not know how many.

Previously, 52 Britons had been reported under quarantine, while the number of Americans had not yet been reported.

The British embassy said nine UK children had been diagnosed with the virus and hospitalised while Phillips said one of his American students was in hospital.

The students and teachers, who had arrived on a programme to study Chinese language and culture, are now the largest group of quarantined foreigners yet reported in mainland China over the A(H1N1) virus.

Authorities in Hong Kong had previously quarantined about 300 guests and staff in a hotel in early May.

The Beijing numbers swelled as more students arrived for the study tour since late Sunday, said Ian Tyrrell, a British teacher who is under quarantine with the rest of the group at the Yan Xiang Hotel.

"This hotel is full now. There has been a new influx and there are more than 100 UK students here now," Tyrrell told AFP by phone from his room at the hotel.

The US embassy in Beijing has declined to comment on the total number of US nationals quarantined there, citing American privacy laws.

Neither the hotel nor city health officials would comment to AFP.

With the numbers of hospitalised growing, Tyrrell said some school groups at the hotel were now isolating themselves from others to prevent further transmission of the virus, while continuing to wear masks.

But he said the students and teachers were being well cared-for and were in good spirits.

"As new groups arrive it's a bit of a trauma but I think we're all handling it well or doing our best to handle it as best we can," Tyrrell said.

However, many were preparing to leave on Tuesday and Wednesday, when their one-week quarantine period ends, the teachers said.

China has a history of contagious disease outbreaks, including in recent years Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and bird flu.

Chinese authorities have therefore responded aggressively to the swine flu threat, measuring the temperatures of arriving international passengers and subjecting foreigners to quarantine.

There have been 1,537 positive cases of the virus in China, the health ministry said last week, but no deaths have been reported.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

EPIDEMICS

Africa needs access to newer AIDS drugs: MSF
Cape Town (AFP) July 20, 2009
Africans with AIDS increasingly need access to newer medications in order to survive, but the latest drugs are still priced far out of reach for people who need them, Doctors Without Borders said Monday. The global medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) warned that at one of the continent's longest-running treatment schemes, based in Khayelitsha township outside Cape Town, more ... read more

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement