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OREM, Utah (AP) -- The 6-year-old Utah boy quarantined in Hong Kong with a mild case of severe acute respiratory syndrome is planning to come home. His father, James Salisbury, died of the flu-like illness two weeks ago.
Doctors cleared Mickey Salisbury to leave Tuen Mugn Hospital in Hong Kong on Wednesday. He was released into the custody of the Mormon church, said his sister Michelle.
The Salisbury family met Wednesday night to arrange the boys' return to Orem, Utah.
An official with the Utah County Health Department said it won't be necessary to quarantine Mickey in Utah, especially because U.S. officials aren't sure Mickey had SARS.
"He's not a threat to the public health," said department spokesman Justin Jones. "He's well or recovering from whatever he did have."
Doctors in China appeared to waffle on whether Mickey had SARS, backing off the original diagnosis but later returning to it. Mickey exhibited only mild symptoms of the illness that has killed more than 250 people worldwide.
The boy stopped taking medication for SARS on April 15. He remained under quarantine to ensure that he wouldn't infect anyone else, Michelle said.
David Westbrook, a Salisbury family friend, visited Mickey daily, and a local leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is acting as Mickey's guardian.
The Salisbury family has created a fund to pay for medical care. Donations can be made to the James Salisbury Donation Fund at Zions Bank.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
