Hong Kong Hospital Authority: Daily Report On Wuhan-related cases (n=5)

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Since we don't have a diagnosis, or a lab test, to determine if patients with respiratory symptoms in Hong Kong might be infected with the same virus causing an outbreak of unidentified pneumonia  in Wuhan, doctors must err on the side of caution and treat cases with recent travel history to Wuhan  as potentially infected - at least until proven otherwise.

Over the past few days we've heard scattered reports of as many as 3 patients admitted to Hong Kong hospitals that might fall into this category.   

Starting today, Hong Kong's Hospital Authority has begun publishing a daily update, and we find the number of potentially related cases has risen to 5.

Public hospital daily update on Wuhan-related cases

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

As at noon today, in the past 24 hours, public hospitals have admitted two female patients who have been to Wuhan in the past 14 days and presented with fever and respiratory infections or pneumonia symptoms, aged 12 and 41. Both patients are now being treated in isolation in Princess Margaret Hospital. The Hospital Authority (HA) has reported the cases and sent the specimens to the Department of Health for testing.

"The patients concerned are in stable condition. A preliminary investigation shows that both patients had not been to a wet market in Wuhan before the onset of symptoms. The HA will keep monitoring the patients' conditions and provide appropriate treatment," the HA Chief Infection Control Officer, Dr Raymond Lai, said.

Including the above mentioned cases, public hospitals have reported five patient cases to the Department of Health since December 31, 2019. Two of them have been discharged.

Ends/Friday, January 3, 2020
Issued at HKT 18:15
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A little extra digging on the Hong Kong CHP site turns up the following table of patients, 3 of which have tested positive for Influenza H3, while two are still awaiting diagnosis.

Should confirmed (or strongly suspected) cases start to emerge outside of Wuhan - particularly those who had not visited the `seafood market' - then that would be considered an ominous sign. 

For now, however, this is cold and flu season, and many travelers from the region can be reasonably expected to have flu-like symptoms. 

With China's Lunar New Year's celebration less than 3 weeks away, and the start of Asia's annual travel season (Chunyun) nearly upon us (see Health Vigilance For The Chinese New Years), the next few weeks could prove quite challenging.

Stay tuned.