But the two people, both in their 40s, were not killed by the disease, which is carried by unidentified viruses. They died as they were trying to disinfect their apartment in Nanhai, Guangdong Province, by boiling vinegar with coal in an attempt to kill the virus.

They apparently fell into a coma after inhaling carbon monoxide released from insufficient burning of the coal.

They were found in their room with windows and doors shut at about 9 am yesterday and died at hospital.

Guangdong provincial health officials have urged local residents not to be alarmed by the pneumonia outbreak, which has killed five people and infected 305 others in the province.

The officials' assertion was supported by pneumonia patients in Guangzhou, who spoke to China Daily.

A patient surnamed Li who has largely recovered after 20 days of treatment said that pneumonia was not as terrible as people imagine, or overseas media have reported.

Li, 36, is a worker in Zhongshan in the Pearl River Delta.

He was found to have contracted pneumonia after he had been working long hours last month.

He suffered from high fever, coughing and respiratory difficulties. Li was later transferred to a better-equipped hospital in Guangzhou.

His body temperature returned to normal following seven days of treatment and his pneumonia symptoms were basically under control after another week of treatment.

"Now I am able to play basketball again," Li said.

Li's wife, who was also infected by the disease, has also recovered. Both left hospital yesterday.

A doctor surnamed Zhong who was infected with the disease while treating patients said a combination of Western antibiotics and traditional Chinese medicines has helped curb the disease.

The doctor, from the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, recovered after about 10 days treatment at his hospital and returned to work yesterday.

Zhong and Li are among 60 pneumonia victims who have already left hospital.

Sources said that the other hospitalized pneumonia patients are in stable conditions.

Zhong Nanshan, an expert in curbing respiration tract diseases, said there was nothing to be afraid of as pneumonia can be treated.

Huang Qingdao, director of Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Health, said there have been no new pneumonia cases reported in the province during the last two days.

But Huang warned residents that, due to a change in weather conditions, they should take precautions against the disease.

Under the influence of a cold front from northern China, the city's temperature nosedived 7 to 8 degrees, reaching only 10 yesterday.

The temperature was even lower in northern parts of Guangdong Province.

Spring is usually the peak period for pneumonia, influenza and other respiratory tract diseases in Guangdong, which has a high humidity level, Huang said.

Drugstores and other shops that had seen long queues of people wanting to buy anti-virus medicines, gauze masks and vinegar returned to normal yesterday.

(China Daily February 13, 2003)