Two Hong Kong 'SARS babies' in a critical condition

European scientists have confirmed the identity of the Sars virus in a key step towards finding drugs to fight it, but anxiety in Hong Kong was unabated today as a doctor said two of the three babies born to Sars-infected mothers were in a critical condition.

Dr Hon Kam-lun would not offer any predictions about the fate of the babies, one of them born to a mother who died on Monday, two weeks after doctors delivered the child by Caesarean section as her condition deteriorated.

The two babies are on “oxygen and ventilatory support,” he said. He had no information on the third baby’s health.

The pneumonia-like illness has killed at least 162 people worldwide, out of more than 3,000 infected. Mainland China has reported 65 deaths, followed by 61 in Hong Kong, 15 in Singapore, 13 in Canada, five in Vietnam, two in Thailand and one in Malaysia.

Experts are still don’t know the details of how Sars spreads, but believe it can be passed on by close contact. Hundreds of relatives of Sars victims have gone into quarantine in several countries. Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, coughing, chills and body aches.

The World Health Organisation said that in experiments conducted at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, scientists infected monkeys with the coronavirus suspected of causing Sars and found the animals developed the same symptoms of the disease that humans do.

Isolating the virus will help scientists trace its evolution and could help them determine whether it jumped from animals to humans, and if so, from which animals.

In Beijing, Peking University said today that it has cancelled social activities and some classes to prevent the spread of Sars after a faculty member’s mother died and the teacher started to show symptoms.

The announcement was a break from China’s earlier insistence on continuing with public activities as it combats Sars. It came a day after WHO investigators said there are more people sick in Beijing than had been reported, including cases at hospitals run by the secretive military.

A WHO official said he estimated the city had as many as 200 “probable cases” – far more than the 37 confirmed cases announced.

Sars is believed to have originated in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which neighbours Hong Kong and has been hit hard by the disease. But China is still going ahead with international events such as a trade fair in Guangdong and a car show in Shanghai.

News coverage of the babies frightened many expectant mothers in Hong Kong, and the Civil Service Bureau said today that pregnant teachers could go on unpaid leave immediately if they wished. Pregnant Hong Kong women normally get four weeks of paid leave from their jobs before they are due.

Airline passengers were forced to undergo temperature tests before leaving Hong Kong on as officials stepped up efforts to contain Sars.

Malaysia, meanwhile, lifted restrictions imposed last week on tourists from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Canada because it is satisfied with efforts in those countries to contain the deadly Sars virus, a government official said.