Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority chief warns of surge in flu cases as city enters first winter season without Covid mask mandate
- ‘People, children in particular, will be more vulnerable as they have not been exposed to any major flu virus in the past three years,’ authority chief Tony Ko says
- Department of Health investigating two cases of severe influenza A infection, including one involving 16-year-old found unconscious after developing runny nose
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority chief has warned of an impending surge in flu cases, noting it will be the city’s first winter without the mandatory mask-wearing policy enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic and residents’ immunity has weakened.
Authority chief executive Tony Ko Pat-sing made the prediction on Sunday after the Department of Health said it was investigating two cases of severe influenza A infection, including one involving a 16-year-old boy who was found unconscious two days after developing a runny nose.
“I would ask Hongkongers to be extremely careful for the coming winter since it will be the first one where people are not required to wear masks,” Ko told a television programme, referring to the city dropping its face covering mandate on March 1.
“People, children in particular, will be more vulnerable as they have not been exposed to any major flu virus in the past three years.”
The authority chief said he expected the number of infections to reach a high level, given physical contact between people had increased, adding the city saw a similar surge in cases in the summer after social-distancing curbs were lifted.
“So I would urge Hongkongers to get vaccinated as soon as possible since the jab usually takes several weeks to take effect,” Ko said, adding the period before the beginning of the winter season was a “golden time” for residents to get inoculated.
The Centre for Health Protection, which falls under the Department of Health, on Saturday said it was investigating the case of the 16-year-old boy, who remained in serious condition. The patient was healthy in the past and had no travel history during the incubation period.
He developed a runny nose last Thursday and was found unconscious on Saturday. He was sent to Tuen Mun Hospital where he was found to have a fever and suffered convulsions.
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“His nasopharyngeal swab was positive for influenza A (H3) virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was paediatric influenza infection complicated with encephalopathy,” the centre said.
The centre was also investigating a case of a 15-year-old girl with severe flu. She had been in good health and had no travel history during the incubation period before testing positive for influenza A (H3).
She experienced fever and a sore throat on Saturday and was admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital on the same day.
The centre said the clinical diagnosis was paediatric influenza infection complicated with shock, but her condition had improved and she remained stable after treatment.
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“Influenza can cause serious illnesses in high-risk individuals and even healthy persons. Seasonal influenza vaccination is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalisation and death,” a centre spokesman said.
A person infected with both the flu and Covid at the same time could develop more serious symptoms and face a higher risk of death, he said, urging children and the elderly in community or residential care homes in particular to get vaccinated against both infections as soon as possible.
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Authority chief Ko said the summer flu season had subsided from its peak, alleviating some of the pressure on the public healthcare system.
The overall occupancy rate at public hospitals had decreased to about 90 per cent, but some hospitals had recorded a relatively high number of patient visits during different times of the day, he added.
He also said the authority’s efforts to retain talent in public healthcare, such as through raising salaries and improving the work environment, had stabilised its turnover rate and led to an increase in the number of medical workers.
But Ko stopped short of revealing how many workers were needed to plug the shortage of personnel.
Additional reporting by Oscar Liu
