Hong Kong joins world effort to fight atypical pneumonia

Hong Kong has been working closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States and local experts, as well as collaborating with health authorities around the world in the fight against a unique atypical pneumonia, which started to become a worldwide health threat in March.

While the cause of the rare atypical pneumonia has not been determined, the disease comes with high fever and one or more respiratory symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. In addition, it may be associated with other symptoms, such as headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhea.

As of March 27, 2003, 11 people with atypical pneumonia had died in Hong Kong’s public hospitals. Public hospitals had admitted 367 people with pneumonia symptoms. A total of 45 patients are receiving treatment in the intensive care unit and 19 patients have been discharged. Health care professionals and their families made up the majority of the cases, which indicates that the disease was transmitted by close contact. 

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said that he was concerned about the impact of the disease on the community, adding that it has been the HKSAR Government’s top priority to tackle the illness since its outbreak.

In view of the increase in the number of atypical pneumonia cases, Mr. Tung convened meetings with his principal officials to enhance co-ordination among government departments and medical authorities with a view to containing the spread of the virus and allaying public worries.

To contain the spread of the disease, Mr Tung has announced that, beginning March 31, the HKSAR Director of Health will use her powers under Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance to require people who have come into contact with those suffering from the disease to report for a daily check-up at a designated clinic for 10 days. If these people develop symptoms, they will be admitted to hospital for isolation and treatment. They should stay at home as far as possible and should not go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

Starting March 29, infectious disease declaration measures will be introduced at all immigration control points. HKSAR Department of Health staff will be stationed at all control points to deal with people who have symptoms of the disease.

With effect from the same date, classes in all secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and day classes in Vocational Training Council will be suspended until April 6.

A closer liaison mechanism with Mainland authorities, including Guangdong authorities, will be set up as soon as possible to further strengthen co-operation in the areas of the status of the disease, clinical treatment and control.

“We need every member of our community to join hands with the HKSAR Government to win the battle against atypical pneumonia. Our concerted efforts will surely pay off,” Mr Tung said.

He emphasized that, although the disease is serious, the HKSAR has a first-class public health system, highly professional medical staff and talented medical research teams. 

“Since the cases occurred in Hong Kong on March 10, we have made substantial progress in four areas,” said Mr Tung.

“First, we have identified the source of the disease. Second, we have successfully discovered the new virus. Third, we have successfully developed a quick diagnostic test. Fourth, targeted treatment methods are 80 to 90 per cent effective. You can see that we have achieved a lot in the past 17 days, particularly in medical developments.”

On March 19, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong succeeded in isolating the virus believed to have caused the recent cases of atypical pneumonia. It was identified as a member of the paramyxoveradae family of viruses that includes measles and mumps. This finding appeared to match with reports from Germany and Taiwan. 

The HKSAR Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, said the WHO would need to co-ordinate efforts to verify and confirm the findings and that more research would be necessary to understand the unusual behaviour of the virus. 

Scientists at the University of Hong Kong subsequently discovered preliminary findings of a new type of coronavirus which has not been known before. Based on these findings, a quick diagnostic test has been developed.

Dr Yeoh said 85 percent of the patients had improved with the current treatment of ribavirin and steroids. Some patients who had not responded to the ribavirin/steroid treatment were showing encouraging improvements after being treated with convalescent serum made from the plasma of people who had recovered from atypical pneumonia. 

On the investigation front, the HKSAR Department of Health, after epidemiological investigations, had earlier confirmed that a total of 7 people who contracted atypical pneumonia recently had stayed in or visited a Kowloon hotel last month.

The HKSAR Director of Health, Dr Margaret Chan, said the 7 comprised three visitors from Singapore, two from Canada, a Mainland visitor, who was a Guangdong doctor, and a local resident.

They stayed on the same floor of the hotel between February 12 and March 2 and developed pneumonia symptoms between February 15 and 27. The local resident, who was identified as the index patient in the outbreak at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, had visited a friend staying in the hotel from February 15 to 23.

The Mainland visitor, who became sick 1 week before staying at the hotel, was believed to be the source of the infection.

The HKSAR Department of Health has been keeping consuls general of overseas countries in Hong Kong informed about the latest developments concerning the investigation into local atypical pneumonia cases.


 

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