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Hong Kong’s CHP publishes an online "Communicable Diseases Watch" on a bi-weekly basis, that takes a close look at 2 or 3 infectious disease topics that are currently of concern.
Today’s edition, in addition to carrying reports on listeriosis infection in Hong Kong and summary charts select notifiable diseases and outbreaks in Hong Kong, has a review of the novel coronavirus that has emerged on the Arabian peninsula.
Given their history with the SARS virus a decade ago (see SARS And Remembrance), outbreaks of a novel coronavirus anywhere in the world is understandably of of great interest to their public health community.
Follow the link to read:
Update on Severe Respiratory Disease Associated with Novel Coronavirus
Reported by Dr Henry Mou, Medical Officer, Respiratory Disease Office, Surveillance and EpidemiologyBranch, CHP.
Since September 23, 2012 (as of May 15, 2013), a total of 40 patients have been confirmed suffering from Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus (NCoV) worldwide, including 30 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), three from the United Kingdom (UK), two from Qatar, two from Jordan, two from France and one from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Most patients are male (79%; 30 of 38 cases with sex reported) and aged from 24 to 94 years (median 56 years).The first case had onset of illness in late March or early April 2012; whereas the most recent case reported had onset on May 8, 2013. Most patients presented with severe acute respiratory disease requiring hospitalisation and eventually required mechanical ventilation or other advanced respiratory support.To date, the case fatality rate is around 50%.
(Continue . . . )
While the H7N9 outbreak on the mainland may be closer to home, Hong Kong’s government website www.info.hk.gov carries almost daily updates on the novel coronavirus as well.
Two additional overseas cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus closely Monitored by DH
The Department of Health (DH) is today (May 16) closely monitoring two additional cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).According to the WHO, the two patients are health-care workers who were exposed to patients confirmed with novel coronavirus. The first patient is a 45-year-old man who became ill on May 2 and is currently in critical condition while the second patient is a 43-year-old woman with underlying illness who became ill on May 8 and is now in stable condition.
To date, a total of 21 patients have been reported from the outbreak primarily linked to the same health-care facility in Eastern KSA since the beginning of May. Investigation by the KSA government is ongoing.
This brings the latest global number of confirmed cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus to 40.
The WHO noted that this is the first time health-care workers have been diagnosed with Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus after exposure to patients. In view of recent clusters reported in health-care facilities, health-care workers and hospitals are reminded to maintain vigilance against novel coronavirus and adhere to strict infection control measures while handling suspected cases in order to reduce the risk of transmission to other patients and health-care workers.
"The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH will seek more information on the cases from the WHO and the relevant health authority. The CHP will stay vigilant and continue to work closely with the WHO and overseas health authorities to monitor the latest developments of this novel infectious disease," a DH spokesman said.
Locally, the CHP will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected case of severe respiratory disease associated with novel coronavirus.
