BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A leading Chinese flu researcher has estimated that at least 1,000 people suffering from flu or flu that has developed into pneumonia have been misdiagnosed as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) cases this year in Beijing alone, reported the weekend edition of China Daily.

　　"Flu and SARS share a number of symptoms and therefore there isa possibility of misdiagnosing flu cases as SARS," Guo Yuanji, director of the Flu Center under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was quoted as saying by the Beijing-based English newspaper China Daily Saturday.

　　China was the worst-hit country in this year's SARS outbreak worldwide, which reached its peak between April and June. By the end of June, over 5,300 probable SARS cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, with more than half of them diagnosed in Beijing.

　　Guo recommended flu inoculation as an effective means to avert misdiagnosis.

　　Flu inoculations are "especially important" this year because of the possibility of flu spreading in North China, which will make things more complicated if SARS returns, he told the newspaper.

　　Although flu can sometimes be diagnosed in as little as two hours, in many cases it may take as long as two days, Guo explained.

　　Misdiagnosis can also be avoided in many cases as long as hospitals strictly implement flu examinations along with SARS checks, he added.

　　The China Daily reported that in the past week, many Chinese regions, such as South China's Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, East China's Jiangsu Province and Northeast China's Jilin Province,have geared up to prevent the reappearance of SARS, one major aspect of which is flu prevention.

　　On Thursday, two days after a new probable SARS case was confirmed in Singapore, the Beijing Municipal Government issued regulations for a three-level emergency alert against SARS. The city also called on its citizens to take flu inoculations as earlyas possible. Enditem