Hong Kong’s flu season may have peaked faster than expected, government health adviser says
- David Hui from Chinese University says hospital data shows number of cases starting to drop
- He points to vaccination, continued mask-wearing and higher temperatures
Hong Kong’s current flu outbreak might have already peaked faster than expected, a government health adviser on Sunday said while citing laboratory data from hospitals.
Professor David Hui Shu-cheong from Chinese University told a television programme: “If we look at data from the Hospital Authority laboratory, it seems in the few days between April 15 and 19, the number of respiratory tract nucleic acid test samples testing positive for influenza had already peaked.”
Noting the numbers were also “starting to drop slowly”, the respiratory medicine expert said the trend was faster than usual, possibly on the back of vaccinations, higher temperatures reducing virus activity and the continued use of masks by most people.
“Under all these factors, it seems this outbreak may not be a large-scale one,” he added.
Hui said an average influenza outbreak would peak in about four to six weeks, with the drop appearing from six to eight weeks. He noted, however, that more data was needed from the health department.
Statistics from the Centre for Health Protection showed there were 47 severe flu cases between April 9 and 15, and 20 residents had died. Another 29 serious cases were logged between April 16 and 19, with 17 fatal.
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“Everyone can see, cases of influenza started to increase at the start of April,” Hui added. “So the high-risk group, especially the young and the elderly, will need to be careful, particularly the elderly.”
He said the primary flu strain in the current outbreak was similar to that of other waves, with vaccination recommended for added protection against the virus and its complications.
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Authorities have advised people aged six months and above, except those with known contraindications, to get seasonal flu jabs.
People, especially the elderly and children, are suggested to get vaccinated early as it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies.
Wearing masks and keeping hands clean can also help, according to experts.
Looking ahead to the summer flu season, Hui said the trend hinged on outbreaks in the southern hemisphere. If flu infections in Australia or New Zealand were serious, it could lead to another peak locally as the virus could spread through air travel.
However, a potential outbreak in the city might not be serious, as many residents continued to wear masks, he added.
Respiratory medicine expert Dr Leung Chi-chiu said the current flu situation was “not too bad” compared with pre-pandemic years, although the number of cases was still rising.
He said the current outbreak was likely to peak in one to two weeks, but further observation was needed before that could be confirmed.
The last flu season in Hong Kong ran from late 2019 to early 2020.
