An A(H1N1) influenza patient has publicly apologized after ignoring his symptoms and traveling on the subway and dining with friends in Beijing.

As of last night, 78 people were under medical observation after having close contact with a 24-year-old Sichuan man surnamed He, who studies at a US university.

Four other people who came into contact with the student are yet to be contacted, said Wang Yu, director of the Beijing Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).