CHINA MEDIA PLAYS DOWN PNEUMONIA， GARLIC TOUTED

Beijing newspapers on Thursday played down an outbreak of atypical pneumonia after officials confirmed deaths in China's capital, but many people were stocking up on herbal medicines and recommending remedies.

"Eat more fresh garlic," said one message beamed by cell phone. "Slice it up, wait 15 minutes, then eat."

After weeks of insisting it had the disease under control, China raised its death toll from atypical pneumonia drastically on Wednesday, saying 31 people had died in the southern province of Guangdong and three in Beijing.

Around the world the disease has killed at least 50 people and made more than 1,300 people sick. Two viruses have emerged as suspects but health experts have said the actual culprit is far from being identified.

China's state-run newspapers, silent for weeks on the spread of the illness on the mainland and barred from publishing any new figures beyond five deaths reported in Guangdong last month, have given the story curt treatment.

The Beijing Morning Post, a major daily, published a short item on page nine on a city health bureau's announcement that three people had died of the disease in the city and five were found to have it, although all were from out of town.

The popular tabloid Beijing Times did not mention the announcement. Neither did the rival Star Daily; it merely quoted experts saying they had no clinical proof popular cold medicines, such as Banlangen, could stave off pneumonia.

Some Beijingers had caught wind of that advice days earlier.

"There is no scientific proof that Banlangen prevents pneumonia," warned another cell phone message. It peddled vitamin C tablets instead.

One Beijing city official told Reuters late on Wednesday state broadcaster Central China Television would broadcast an update on the outbreak in China on the evening news that night. But it broadcast no such report.

GARLIC AND VINEGAR

Called severe acute respiratory syndrome, the mysterious pneumonia is believed to have originated in Guangdong, where people have come down with symptoms such as severe fever and obstructed breathing since November.

The World Health Organisation said the Guangdong outbreak appeared to have peaked and numbers of infections were falling.

Despite the moratorium on news, word got around a week ago that the disease had spread to Beijing. People have been swapping snippets of information about people who died, patients quarantined and doctors and nurses infected at hospitals.

They also tell each other places to avoid.

"I have refrained from going to crowded areas such as restaurants and shopping malls," said Wang Tianyun, 62, a retired travel agent. The athletically built Wang stood by his bicycle, a badminton racket sticking out of its basket. He vowed to keep up his exercises to stay fit.

"There is something unnerving about this illness. It's a new strain, easily contracted and deadly too," said Wang. "The government should find out what caused the disease and control it as soon as possible. When people know the truth, they are less nervous."

Some companies have distributed cotton masks to their employees. In one boardroom meeting, a man passed cloves of uncooked garlic around the table, according to a participant.

People have been boiling vinegar in their homes in the belief the fumes eliminate bacteria.

A WHO spokesman in Beijing advised people who suspected they had contracted the virus to see a doctor. "We're not even at the stage of recommending any treatments, to be honest," spokesman Chris Powell said.