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| CHP warns against both the flu and Covid-19 |
Hong Kong has entered the influenza season and the Centre
for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has advised people to
take extra precautions to avoid the flu.
This comes as the Hospital Authority warned of a surge in the number of children catching the flu, overwhelmigng hospitals.
The HA said the number of children admitted to hospital with flu has risen by more than 40 percent in the past week. This has led to the occupancy rate in children's wards to rise to between 70 and 80 percent.
Overall, the jump in the number of cases has been nearly tenfold.
According to the CHP's latest surveillance data, the weekly percentage of those that tested positive for seasonal flu viruses has increased from below 1 per cent in the first week of March, to 9.89 per cent in the week ending April 1.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE! |
CHP said seasonal influenza activity has been low over the past three years, so the public’s immunity as a whole may be relatively weaker than in the past.
“We urge the public, particularly children, the elderly and chronic disease patients, to receive seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) as early as possible. Strict personal, hand and environmental hygiene should also be observed at all times. Those who have plans to travel abroad during the Easter holidays are also reminded to pay special attention to the influenza situations of their travel destinations before departure and strengthen personal protection," CHP said.
At the same time, CHP also warned of a slight increase in the number of people
testing positive for Covid-19 as well as per capita viral load in relation to Covid-19 from sewage surveillance.
"Although the number of severe illness cases and death cases
of Covid-19 remains relatively stable, the the public should complete the recommended dosage of Covid-19 and flu vaccines as early as
possible since a person who gets influenza and Covid-19 at the same time may be
more seriously ill and would have a higher risk of death," it said.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
The majority of positive detections in that period were
influenza A(H1) (around 77 per cent) and A(H3) (around 21 per cent), with very
low influenza B activity.
The admission rate for influenza in public hospitals is also
rising, from 0.01 per 10 000 population in the first week of March to 0.25 per
10 000 population in the week ending April 1.
Separately, institutional influenza-like illness outbreaks
reported to the CHP per week rose from one or two in the first half of March, to
12 outbreaks in the week ending April 1, affecting 49 persons. The 12 outbreaks
included five in primary schools, one in a secondary school, two in residential
care homes for the elderly, one in a residential care home for persons with
disabilities, two in special schools and one in a hospital.
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As of April 2, about 1.53 million doses of SIV had been
administered via the Government Vaccination Program, the Vaccination Subsidy
Scheme (VSS) and the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach (Free of
Charge) Program 2022/23, representing a roughly 24 per cent rise over the same
period in 2021/22 season.
CHP listed tips to avoid getting the flu or Covid-19:
- Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
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- Wear surgical masks to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons.
- For high-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or immunocompromised), wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places.
- Avoid touching one's eyes, mouth and nose;
- Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
- When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
- Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
- Maintain good indoor ventilation;
- When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
- Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.
For the latest information on influenza activity, please visit the CHP's influenza page and COVID-19 & Flu Express. As for vaccination, the public may visit the CHP's Vaccination Schemes page.
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