Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL
# 6738
No city experienced a greater impact from the SARS epidemic a decade ago than did Hong Kong in 2003. Between March 11th and June 6th, a total of 1750 cases were identified, and of those, 286 died.
From the JRSM (Journal of the The Royal Society of Medicine) in August of 2003, we get this description of the spread of the disease in the city.
The SARS epidemic in Hong Kong: what lessons have we learned?)
Lee Shiu Hung, MD FFCM
(Excerpt)
The SARS epidemic in Hong Kong has gone through three phases. The first was an explosive outbreak in a teaching hospital, affecting a large number of hospital staff and medical students. This phase took place in March 2003.
The second phase was an outbreak in the community as a result of the spread of infection from the hospital to the community. This reached its peak in early April 2003 when the disease affected a housing estate known as Amoy Gardens; a total of 329 residents in that estate came down with the disease and 33 died.
The third phase began in early May, with continuing occurrence of the disease in eight hospitals and more than 170 housing estates throughout the city but with the daily number of new cases declining from double to single digits in mid-June (the time of writing).
Out of this trial by fire, Hong Kong’s Centre For Health Protection was born, and today it arguably runs one of the most proactive disease surveillance systems in the world.
So one should not be surprised to find a link to the new coronavirus front and center on the CHP’s home page.
On September 27th, just 3 days after being notified of the first coronavirus case, Hong Kong modified their Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) to include “Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus” as one of the statutorily notifiable diseases (see Letter To Doctors).
You’ll find a variety of notices, and letters to institutions regarding this emergent coronavirus on this page.
Today the Hong Kong government posted some remarks by their Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man. As you’ll see, that while they are watching this situation carefully, at this time they have no plans to upgrade their alert level.
SFH on overseas cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus
Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after attending a public function this afternoon (November 25):
Secretary for Food and Health: Regarding the new novel coronavirus causing severe respiratory disease, there is a concern that over a span of two months, another batch of four new cases (three from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and one from Qatar) was confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO also pointed out that we cannot assume the source of infection is only present in the countries concerned. Patients who have not got a history of travel to these two particular middle-east countries but developed symptoms of illness similar to the diseases caused by this new novel coronavirus, they might still be considered necessary to undertake the test for the new coronavirus.
Reporter: (On emergency level in Hong Kong for an outbreak of the new disease)
Secretary for Food and Health: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is consistently conducting risk assessment, following up on whether there will be any new information or new cases reported. Up to this moment, there is no need to upgrade our response level for the infectious disease outbreak. However, the new reported cases (due to infection with the novel coronavirus) highlighted the need to enhance our surveillance measures, both at the hospitals as well as at the immigration check points.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Sunday, November 25, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:23
You can pretty much expect an enhanced level of surveillance around the world in the coming days as a result of last week’s announcement from the World Health Organization (see WHO Announces Additional Coronavirus Cases).
It is far too soon to know whether this virus will pose a major public health threat, but one of the lessons learned from the SARS outbreak of 2003 is that delays in reporting can have deadly consequences.
It is far better for public health officials to be hyper-vigilant today, than to have to play catch up tomorrow.
