The last two SARS patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospital on Saturday in Beijing.

But officials from the Chinese Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the fight against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is not yet over and called for vigilance against possible return of the virus.

Sun Zheng, a 19-year-old university student, and Lu Zhiyan, a 45-year-old medical worker, were hospitalized in April after being diagnosed as confirmed SARS cases. Experts declared that the two patients were free of SARS symptoms three weeks ago. They stayed in hospital to date to undergo treatment on complications caused by SARS, according to sources at Ditan Hospital.

Ditan Hospital, Beijing's last designated hospital that held SARS patients, will also return to normal operations to receive various infectious patients after treating SARS patients for 143 days.

Meanwhile, sources with health authorities said no recovered SARS patient has been re-infected so far.

"I have been in very good condition after being discharged from hospital in May," Sun Baowen, a 39-year-old former SARS patient told China Daily yesterday.

He said he did not feel any discomfort during the recent hot summer days.

"My career is not influenced at all by the fact that I have been infected by SARS," said Sun Baowen, a university teacher who was on his way to Northeast China's Harbin for a business trip yesterday.

"With the release of the last SARS patients in China, a very important chapter in the global fight against the infectious disease has been closed," Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to China, said when addressing the celebration ceremony for the discharge of the last two SARS patients.

Vice-Health Minister Zhu Qingsheng vowed that if finding SARS cases in the future, all of the preparations will be done within 24 hours at Ditan Hospital to receive patients.

Executive vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health Han Demin revealed on Saturday that the capital city is formulating an emergency plan to fight any possible future outbreak of SARS.

(China Daily 08/18/2003 page1)