Swine Flu Outbreak reminiscent of Hong Kong SARS

"Swine Flu Outbreak reminiscent of Hong Kong SARS | AboutHK.Com - more information about HK"

For a few months in 2003, SARS in Hong Kong held virtual quarantine. Schools closed. Employees worked from home Hardly anyone traveled. If they go, many people wore surgical masks. A similar scene is now playing in Mexico, such as pigs, that the flu grips nation. With some 150 deaths on the virus responsible, the government has closed schools, museums and public buildings. Mexico City is usually bustling streets are empty. Elaine Leung, a teacher of Chinese language in Hong Kong, ended her undergraduate studies at Lingnan University here in SARS Struck. It points out, weeks after being on her dorm. "We were not stuck, we were free to move. But the point is there was no way that we can move. At that moment if we moved back home, then if we carried any virus that might affect our family we better stay where we're from, so that's our idea," she said. There were no cases of swine flu in Hong Kong. Although the swine flu in Hong Kong, Under Secretary for Food and Health Gabriel Leung, says the city is better equipped than others, may be, have learned from SARS. "That gave us a lot of valuable insights and practical experience in managing a large-scale outbreak that eventually spread to other parts of the world. And I think that certainly has prepared us very well for what may come as far as [a] human swine flu epidemic is concerned," he said. Sweeped SARS in Hong Kong for four months in 2003, 1755 infect and kill 299 people in June. Worldwide, more than 8000 have been infected and nearly 800 have died of SARS. Hong Kong stock has 20 million doses of antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. There has next to 1400 hospital bed in isolation stations. And it regularly scans body temperatures of passengers arriving and isolated, all suspicious. Strict measures have been infected in the city during the SARS outbreak, the doctor at each visit, the treatment of victims in southern China was ill. Because the disease is so new, it took health authorities a few days to understand the seriousness of the situation. You searched information from health authorities in China, but rebuffed. Before the new disease, travelers had to several countries in Asia and North America. With the number of persons who have fever and pneumonia-like symptoms, authorities closed schools and quarantined the building clusters of infections were found. Business has declined as tourist numbers declined and the city has a population of up to dining in restaurants and shopping in the malls. The stock market fell. This week, the World Health Organization warned swine flu pandemic has potential. The WHO urges countries to make the virus' spread. Confirmed cases have been reported in Europe, Israel, the United States and Canada. In the Asia-Pacific region, there are suspected cases in a handful of states and New Zealand have confirmed several pig flu infections. Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection controller Thomas Tsang says flu is very unpredictable. "It really can happen anywhere in the world. That is why it is important to maintain vigilance. Not just at a particular geographical segment, but we should have a worldwide vision to monitor closely the influence of influenza, whether it is swine influenza or avian influenza or human influenza," he said. Hong Kong plans to quarantine someone with a fever, which comes from an area infected with swine flu. In addition, the city is ready to close schools and widespread introduction of quarantine, when swine flu starts in the city. Tsang also says the government and medical universities are working to create a test that could confirm swine flu within hours instead of two or three days it takes now. There is little alarm on the streets. While there are some reports of Hong Kong residents lining up to buy surgical masks and hand sanitizer, pharmacies were not overwhelmed, because they occur during the SARS. Comments Please login to post comments or replies.