2 confirmed flu patients out of hospital

Two confirmed A(H1N1) influenza patients were discharged from hospitals in Beijing and Guangzhou on Friday after a week of treatment.

One of the two patients was 18-year-old Liu Xinwei, who was diagnosed with the flu after she returned from the United States. She was hospitalized at Beijing's Ditan Hospital on May 15 and had a video meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday.

Liu, wearing a red T-shirt and blue mask and accompanied by her father, met the press before she left hospital at 10 a.m.. She waved and greeted the crowd with a broad smile. "Many thanks to Premier Wen and all the medical workers who took care of me the past week," she said.

Beijing health chief Fang Laiying presented her a pink teddy bear and a bouquet of red roses.

Mao Yu, president of Ditan Hospital, said Liu had "fully recovered" and would suffer no aftereffects.

The other patient, surnamed Yang, took a low-key departure from the No. 8 People's Hospital in Guangzhou very early` in the morning, said hospital president Yang Zhan at a press briefing.

At the patient's request for a low-key return to normal life, we didn't arrange a farewell ceremony or allow the press to meet him, he said.

Yang Zhan said the patient's temperature had been normal since Monday and all his symptoms had disappeared by Tuesday. He tested negative for A(H1N1) in two separate tests Wednesday and Thursday and has met requirements set by the Chinese Health Ministry for discharge from hospital.

He didn't say exactly when the patient was discharged. Sources close to the patient told Xinhua he left at around 1 a.m..

The patient flew to Hong Kong via the Republic of Korea on May 13 after a trip to Canada and the United States, and then took a train to Guangdong on May 15.
 

Source: Chinadaily