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Thursday, January 23, 2020, 00:57
All-out efforts to contain pandemic
By Staff Writer
Thursday, January 23, 2020, 00:57 By Staff Writer

Latest official reports about the Wuhan viral pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus indicate the infectious disease was spreading despite heightened preventive measures taken by health authorities around the world, especially in Wuhan, where it first broke out. 17 fatalities from the more than 540 confirmed cases have been reported on the mainland. Unfortunately, Hong Kong also confirmed its first “highly suspected” case of the Wuhan viral infection on Wednesday.

The infected patient of Hong Kong’s first confirmed case is a man who traveled to the SAR from the mainland on a high-speed train. He could have infected some other passengers on that train. The city’s health authorities and the public must brace for a local outbreak. Judging by the steady increase of suspected cases in Hong Kong in recent days, we have reason to believe many Hong Kong residents have not taken necessary measures to protect themselves from viral respiratory infection, even though the government has stepped up efforts to raise public awareness of the worst epidemic since the SARS pandemic of 2002-03.

Medical experts and researchers agree the Wuhan pneumonia pathogen is not as lethal as the SARS virus even though they are both from the coronavirus family. However, it also means the novel coronavirus responsible for the outbreak may become more lethal through mutations. That is why the public in Hong Kong must not let its guard down and why everyone should take all preventive measures necessary for the sake of their own health — or life, for that matter. Health authorities, meanwhile, must continuously upgrade their emergency-measure mechanism, drawing on lessons from the SARS outbreak.

Health authorities on the mainland have been in an all-out campaign to fight off the looming pandemic but have not been able to stop it from spreading simply because there is no practical way to stop the flow of people, especially during this pre-Spring Festival travel season. So the most effective way for Hong Kong residents to guard against the virus is to strictly follow good personal hygiene practices as advised by health experts, beginning with canceling trips to Wuhan and all other places where pneumonia patients have been found.

Hong Kong is a free port where hundreds of thousands of people enter and exit on a daily basis. That is why it has seen so many cases, confirmed or suspected, of infectious diseases every time one breaks out somewhere else in the world, including the SARS pandemic, the “bird flu”, Middle East respiratory syndrome,  and now the mystery pneumonia.

Local residents have no excuse not to take extra precautions against the viral respiratory infection. Wear a surgical mask every time you leave home. Use a clinically proven hand sanitizer after touching objects in public places that other people touch all the time, such as handrails and seats in buses and subway cars, door handles, railings and furniture in public areas, especially in hospitals and clinics. Go to a hospital or clinic near you as soon as you feel feverish with a sore throat, are coughing and have other flu-like symptoms. This is no time to be syringe-shy, for your loved ones’ as well as your own sake!


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