HK Tech Phooey
Tapping the pulse of this gateway for Asia's IT
by Victor Cheung, Hong Kong SAR, PRC
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My journal entries on swine flu in Hong Kong
May 12, 2009 09:39The following are excerpts from my journals since the first confirmed case of the H1N1 virus in Hong Kong on May 1, 2009.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Tonight, as I was ready to board my 8.55pm flight back from Taipei to Hong Kong, I received the news that there had been one confirmed case of the H1N1 influenza (a.k.a. swine flu) in Hong Kong. Upon arriving in Hong Kong at about 10.40pm, I noticed that preventive measures had been stepped up by the Airport Authority. Be it the police, immigration or airline staff, they pretty much had face masks on and the Airport Authority and Department of Health of the HKSAR had issued new guidelines for all flying into Hong Kong, requesting them to fill in a health declaration form before going through the immigration control points.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The local papers reported on the 25-year-old Mexican who was confirmed with the H1N1 virus. According to the reports, the Mexican flew in from Mexico via a stopover in Shanghai on April 30, and checked into the Metropark Hotel in downtown Hong Kong that same afternoon. Over 200 hotel guests and 100 hotel staff were to be quarantined for seven days and treated with Tamiflu.
... suddenly, I'm seeing flashbacks of those 299 killed during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) period back in 2003.
Interesting numbers:
According to the World Heath Organization's published numbers on May 1, confirmed cases of swine flu stood at 367 worldwide; reports also indicated that Hong Kong SAR had stockpiled over 20 million doses of Tamiflu.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The exact numbers of those under quarantine came out today. Over 340 people in total and that included the two taxi drivers who had driven the Mexican to the hotel and to the hospital, two fellow taxi passengers, a local friend of the Mexican, 36 passengers within a three-row vicinity of him aboard a China Eastern flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and 300 guests and staff at the Metropark Hotel in which he checked into.
Monday, May 3, 2009
985 cases of the virus have been confirmed in 20 countries and the number of fatalities stand at 26 (well, this number is really misleading, someone really has to clarify the exact death toll in Mexico).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain of UN is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu--how sick you get--is not stronger than regular seasonal flu," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday as the worldwide number of confirmed cases of swine flu--technically known as 2009 H1N1 virus--topped 1,080. (Source: CNN)
Yeah, right.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Businesses in Mexico City are to reopen Thursday after a week-long closure due to concerns over swine flu. The Mexico Government lowers the swine flu alert from orange (elevated) to yellow (medium). Gee, they really think this whole thing is over.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Mainland China lifts its seven-day quarantine for all 128 passengers who arrived in Shanghai on the same flight as the infected Mexican.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The week-long quarantine in Hong Kong has ended. All seems to be back to normal, but the numbers are still on the rise. According to WHO, confirmed cases of swine flu have amounted to 2,500 in 25 countries, with 44 deaths from the disease. Wondering whether there is a plotted graph out there on the rising number of cases. Should google that later tonight.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
In Japan, three people were diagnosed as confirmed A(H1N1) influenza cases. Also in Australia, the first case was confirmed.
The WHO on Saturday reported 3,440 confirmed cases of swine flu in 29 countries, with 48 deaths from the sickness.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
This is getting more and more depressing, especially with the growing numbers of confirmed cases and death tolls. What's worse is the rate at which the influenza is spreading.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Chinese Ministry of Health confirmed the first confirmed case, a mainland Chinese male recently returned from the US was tested positive for the A(H1N1) influenza. The Sichuan health department said that Monday morning more than 130 of the 150 passengers from the flight were in quarantine.
In Hong Kong, according to the RTHK news, three more travllers had been admitted to hospitals in Hong Kong to be tested for possible swine flu. They were among more than 400 passengers and crew aboard a Northwest Airlines plane that landed in Tokyo on Friday after a flight from Canada via the US. Three Japanese passengers onboard were confirmed with swine flu.
As of 0730 GMT, May 10, 2009, 29 countries had officially reported 4,379 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection with 48 deaths.
Tell me this is nothing serious.
End of journal entries--May 11, 2009
- Talkback
-
I think rural countries or highly dense countries would be mostly a big problem. I think if the disease spread to place like africa then it the number of people dying would be hugh. Another thing is stricter precaution should be taken before letting people depart to another country.
May 12, 2009 19:24
@Victor: Here in the Philippines, the 33 patients suspected to have A(H1N1), all yielded negative results. Thank God. But there is one or two again being monitored now. I hope it turn out negative as well.
How is HK handling the situation now? Do you expect more A(H1N1) cases? Take the necessary precautions bro. God Bless!
May 12, 2009 21:55
As of yesterday, we got another confirmed case, bummer.
May 14, 2009 20:57
Hmm...84 new confirmed cases of A(H1N1) in Japan just yesterday....not good at all.
May 18, 2009 08:36
H1N1 is serious, but not THAT serious outside of Mexico and the U.S. The worst thing is for everyone to panic and defer their travel plans. Tourist-centric economies like Hong Kong and Singapore would be most affected by any new infections, just when a recovery is most needed.
May 18, 2009 10:22
About Victor Cheung
A true tech junkie at heart, Victor Cheung has been obsessed with all tech gadgets since his college days. His favorite gizmos span from tablet PCs to UMPC, to PMPs, gaming consoles, mobile phones and anything with WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 on it. A newcomer to the blog scene, he started his own quasi-tech blog, The Hong Kong Phooey in October 2006.
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