The 32-year-old television producer in south China's Guangdong Province who has been confirmed as a SARS patient has fully recovered and will be discharged from hospital on Thursday.

Tang Xiaoping, president of the No. 8 People's Hospital of Guangzhou, the provincial capital, where the man has been treated since Dec. 24, said, "The patient has had a normal temperature since Dec. 24."

The man had met the three standards set for a SARS patient to be discharged from the hospital in China: disappearance of shadows on the lungs, loss of accompanying symptoms and no fever for over a week.

The man complained of a headache and fever on the night of Dec. 16 and was admitted to an isolation room at the No. 1 Hospital of the Guangzhou-based Zhongshan University on Dec. 20.

The patient was initially diagnosed as having pneumonia in the lower right lung and was transferred to the No. 8 People's Hospital on Dec. 24

Tang said the patient had almost no fever when he arrived at his hospital, despite the headache and fatigue, plus obvious disorders with the digestive canal, nausea, chest discomfort, shortage of breath and a slight cough.

The patient's condition has improved daily since he received conventional treatment from a team of 20 or so medical workers at Tang's hospital, including antibiotics and support treatment to prevent complications.

No oxygen inhaler or hormone was used in treating the patient, said Tang, who added that medical workers had also conducted psychological treatment to help relieve the man's anxiety.

Tang hoped society would embrace the man and let him return to a normal life as soon as possible.

Effective measures takend to fight SARS: FM spokesman

The Chinese authorities have taken effective measures to monitor and prevent the spread of SARS, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Tuesday.

Kong said the confirmation of the first diagnosed case of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) on Monday did not cause public panic, because effective prevention measures had been taken.

Kong said the public should be more aware of the possibility of SARS, but need not panic.

The World Health Organization and the government were satisfied with the SARS monitoring system, Kong said, adding that all foreign visitors and Chinese residents were safe.

Editor: Li Guixiang.