The Chinese government’s lack of openness is blamed for the toll the disease has taken there

The New York Times says the man, whose name and nationality have been withheld, went into the hospital voluntarily with a fever, but was forced to stay there because he refused an order to voluntarily quarantine himself.

He was hospitalized for most of his time in the United States, and left the hospital only to go to the airport for his return flight. He was feeling better by the time he left. It is not — and might never be — clear if he had SARS because tests are not complete and may be inconclusive.

The Times reports it was only the second time in 25 years that city health officials had forcibly quarantined a person suspected of having a disease other than tuberculosis. A traveler from India was isolated in 1994 during a plague outbreak in that country.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York State has reported five probable cases of SARS, and 24 other cases where SARS is suspected.

New York City reports two probable cases; one is a 40-year-old male, the other an infant boy. Neither is hospitalized, according to information available Monday. An additional 18 suspected cases are listed, and only one of those patients is in the hospital. All 20 cases in the city have traveled recently to countries affected by the disease.

New York State is one of 18 states to report a probable case of SARS. A total of 47 probable cases have been recorded in the United States, and there have been no deaths.

California has the largest number of probable cases, with 17. North Carolina has six. Virginia has three, and Colorado and Hawaii each have two cases.

The other states reporting probable cases are: Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington. Thirty-nine states are reporting suspected cases.

In an executive order on April 4, President Bush added SARS to the list of communicable diseases for which the secretary of Health and Human Services can order quarantine.

If the disease spreads in the United States and quarantine becomes necessary, an effective strategy will be to isolate the right people rather than a large number, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“It’s really a response to the situation that you’re presented with, rather than just willy-nilly quarantining a larger number of people,” Fauci told CBS News’ The Early Show. “Because a larger number of people doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safer. It’s how you do it and under what circumstances you do.”

Fauci also stressed the importance of being candid with the public and 바카라사이트 world health authorities as soon as the disease begins to make inroads. The Chinese government’s lack of openness is blamed for the toll the disease has taken there.

“It isn’t what China is doing wrong now, (it’s) what China did incorrectly early on, at the end of November, the middle of November when they began seeing cases,” Fauci said. “As they now readily admit, unfortunately, they were not forthcoming and did not let the word out that they were dealing with something that was as dangerous as this.”

CBS News Correspondent Jim Acosta reports that at one New York City hospital, at least, health officials are already prepared to quarantine people suspected of carrying SARS.

Jacobi Medical Center in New York City is ready to pounce as soon as a suspected SARS patient walks into the E.R. Within seconds, doctors say, that patient would be swept into this “isolation room” where their symptoms could be trapped and treated.

The room features plastic covered equipment marked with SARS labels and negative airflow systems to keep the virus contained.

It could take up to a year to develop an effective vaccine for SARS, according to federal officials.