Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL
# 6996
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food and Health (SFH), Dr Ko Wing-man, responded to a reporter’s question on the novel coronavirus (NCoV) while attending a public function Sunday morning.
This exchange occurred before test results (which were negative) on the recent traveler from KSA (and his spouse) were released, and focused on ongoing surveillance efforts.
It’s fair to say that 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 (see SARS And Remembrance).
While this novel coronavirus is not SARS, it is a related coronavirus, and so concerns over its spread are understandably heightened in Hong Kong.
SFH on suspected case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus
Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after attending a public function this morning (March 10):
Reporter: (On a report received by the Centre for Health Protection from Queen Elizabeth Hospital last night about a suspected case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus), how would the Government step up the surveillance measures especially regarding airline companies?Secretary for Food and Health: A few days ago, the World Health Organization notified the 14th confirmed case of infection with new Novel Coronavirus causing severe respiratory disease. There has been a total of 14 cases since the discovery of the disease last year.
There are also evidences of human to human transmission in the most recent cluster of cases in the United Kingdom.
There is currently a patient in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a history of travel to the middle-east and with relevant upper respiratory tract symptoms and fever. The specimens of the patient have been sent to the Public Health Laboratory and we could have the result of the rapid test at noon today, the earliest.
I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to the public to adopt tightened public and personal hygiene measures. Whenever you are travelling outside Hong Kong, do not get into contact with wild animals, wild birds and poultry.
If you got upper respiratory tract symptoms and fever within certain days after you returned to Hong Kong, please take personal protection measures and see a doctor.
In particular, do not take wild animals or wild birds as a cuisine.
Regarding the airlines, we are considering stepping up preventive measures including incorporating a warning, in particular for inbound air flights especially from the affected areas, to alert the air crew as well as the passengers that if they have fever or upper respiratory tract symptoms, they should report their situation to the crew members and our port health staff.
Reporter: Is there higher risk right now in terms of the season?
Secretary for Food and Health: At this period of time, when we are in the transition from winter to spring, it is also the peak of the seasonal flu as well as other upper respiratory tract illnesses. I think the whole community at this particular time should tighten the awareness and preparedness.Ends/Sunday, March 10, 2013
Issued at HKT 14:18
With the reservoir of this novel coronavirus still unknown, the admonition to avoid contact with (or consumption of) wild birds or animals when abroad is an understandable precaution.
The SARS epidemic of 10 years ago was linked to the consumption of `wild flavor’ cuisine in Southern China, where exotic animals were butchered and prepared to order.
One popular menu item – palm civits – were later found to carry the virus (see A Civets Lesson). Additional studies suggested that bats may have passed the virus down to civits.
So far, NCoV is only showing up sporadically, and all 14 confirmed cases have had epidemiological ties to the Arabian peninsula.
It remains to be seen just how much of a public health threat this virus actually poses.
Until we understand it better, it is prudent policy to treat this virus with respect. So we can expect to see aggressive measures taken in Hong Kong – and around the world – whenever a suspect case is identified.
Hopefully, as we’ve seen overnight in Hong Kong, most of these cases will turn out negative.
