Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL
# 6927
While there are currently no signs of greater spread of the novel coronavirus confirmed again yesterday in a traveler returning from the Middle East (see ECDC Update On Novel Coronavirus) - Hong Kong – which took the brunt of the SARS impact in 2003, continues its proactive stance.
Hong Kong’s Centre For Health Protection was born out of that epidemic, and today runs one of the most impressive disease surveillance systems in the world.
Last month (before this latest case), the CHP issued another letter to doctors on Updated Reporting Criteria for Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus.
EXCERPT (reparagraphed)
According to WHO, the number of reported confirmed cases of human infection with novel coronavirus remains nine and the novel coronavirus has now been confirmed in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan since April of 2012.
The infections in all three countries appear to have been locally acquired. Patients have generally presented with pneumonia, though a significant proportion have also had renal failure. In two instances, infections have occurred in a cluster, one in a family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and one among health care workers in a hospital near Amman, Jordan.
Although the clusters raise concerns about the possibility of human-to-human transmission, there is currently no definitive evidence that this has happened. The source of the virus, its total geographic extent, the spectrum of illness, and the mode of transmission are currently unknown.
To address these key issues, WHO recommended that patients who reside in or have history of travel to the Arabian Peninsula or neighboring countries within 10 days before onset of illness, should be carefully investigated and tested for novel coronavirus.
Today, the CHP issued this press release:
The Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring an additional case due to infection with the novel coronavirus confirmed by the Health Protection Agency of the United Kingdom (UK). The new case involved a UK resident who had recently travelled to the Middle East and Pakistan.
The patient is receiving intensive care treatment in a Manchester hospital. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 10, of which two have diagnosed in the UK.
A DH spokesman said, "The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected cases of Novel Coronavirus associated with Severe Respiratory Disease.
"In addition, the CHP will stay vigilant and continue to work closely with the World Health Organization and other overseas health authorities to monitor the latest development of this novel infectious disease.
"No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong."
The spokesman advised travellers returning from novel coronavirus affected countries with respiratory symptoms should wear a facial mask and seek medical attention and reveal the travel history to the doctor.
Ends/Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:48
No city experienced a greater impact from the SARS epidemic a decade ago than did Hong Kong. Between March 11th and June 6th, 2003, a total of 1750 cases were identified, and of those, 286 died.
This novel coronavirus is not SARS, but it is a related coronavirus, and so concerns over containing it are warranted.
It is much too soon to know whether this virus will ever pose a serious 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.
