Whats the deal with swine flu in HK?

B

babymommy2

Registered User
So from what I read on here there is a big concern with swine flu In Hk to the point of closing schools, posts about avoiding crowded palces,etc. Where as in Cnada where we also have swine flu, you don't see these concerns. The only places making a big deal aobut it is in a few very isolated northern communities that are very poor, over crowded conditions, poor health and sanitation and they have much larger numbers of influenza than the general public, and more severe disease. So I am wondering is it really that bad in HK, with really high numbers and worse than normal cases, or is it an overreaction and it is the same as in the rest of the world, wondering as we are travelling there in about 4 weeks and want to know what I am getting myself into.
 
as of today there are only 348 cases in hk. HOWEVER, the gov't here plays it VERY safe. conditions in hk are not the same as anywhere in canada. the population density alone makes it a very different situation.

after SARS, hk takes these things VERY seriously. they don't mess around at all with it.

yes, all kindergartens and primary schools have been closed for coming up to 2 weeks. the gov't is meeting tomorrow to announce whether they will reopen schools or extend the closures. i have a gut feeling they will extend the closures as well as include secondary schools.

who knows what the situation will be like in 4 weeks.

most people here are continuing about their lives as normal. i however, am not taking my kids to crowded places, they are not going to school, i have closed my playgroup (more for the parents' peace of mind than anything), and my kids are only doing 1-1 playdates with friends (and not many of those). it may be an overreaction, could very well be... but when it's the health of my children, i would rather err on the side of caution and appear ridiculous than not and have a child sick from something that might have been prevented.
 
i was just wondering what happens if there is death in HK due to Swine flu during September-March which is typical flu season for us Will the Govt again ask to close all kindergartens and Primary school?
 
I am currently in Australia (we are in the middle of the winter/flu season) and as of last night we have about 2495 cases and one death (according to Sky News). On average, 2,000 Australians die from influenza each year.

I mentioned this in another thread and, at the time said that I was not impressed with the government's handling of the pandemic. This morning I finally heard a CSA on the radio which I was a) happy to hear the government was finally educating Australians on what it was; and, b) that it was well done, factual and well written.

We too are living lives as normal but staying away from crowed places (but we want to go to the snow this weekend and I know that will be crowed!) and will be hitting HK at the start of the flu season (a year of winter for us!).

As a precaution, I made sure the whole family got flu shots and was told by the Dr that a vaccine is likely for Swine Flu by the end of July. We will only need 1 dose instead of the 2 they are planning because we already have immunisation against the other types of influenza.

Good luck today with the government announcement.
 
I understand and I don't at the same time. I don't think they can close the schools forever, and this thing is not going away soon. An immunization won't be available until fall and the schools need to open up at some point (it's not a "healthy" situation to have them closed for really long periods of time either, children have a right to have education).

I find it quite depressing, cases anywhere including in our building, spreading easily, it's almost impossible to avoid unless you lock yourself in your home. Part of me, wants to avoid, washes their hands, takes their temps, avoid indoor areas with many people, etc. On the other hand, I feel like licking the elevator buttons, getting the swine flu and get it over with. Because I feel, I may get it or I may not, but I can't hide, I can't keep my children for school forever (and again, more to come for sure) so at some point you have to stop fighting it ... and continue daily life (with all normal precautions) which includes school in my opinion and see what happens. So far, there are no signs is way worse than a normal flu. I've heard people who had it, and they were just pretty sick for a little less than a week, nothing less, nothing more.

Does this make sense? I find it really depressing these days, I feel limited, less free, want to live my life like I normally do but at the same time I feel I can't or shouldn't. Time to go home for the summer I guess ... but then it's everywhere (and I need to get on a 12 hour flight as well ...)!
 
I think the deal is that, although Canada has 10 X more cases, it also has only about double the population in an enormously larger space. HK is crazily congested, especially in the built up city areas.
And regardless of all the `education` the gov`t is giving, there are still people coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths, and other less hygienic practices.
What kills me is that people, WHO ARE WEARING MASKS, still feel it necessary to touch my baby. It`s less than before, and for that I am grateful, but people are still touching him on his hands. WTF!!! But I am becoming bolder and bolder in my protests:)
 
actually, canada's pop is over 30M, hk's is about 7-8M....

the pop density of canada is something like 3.2 people /km2
hong kong is 6,420 people/km2....it's no wonder that the hk gov't is concerned, if this thing really gets going, it could spread like wildfire... in canada, the space between cities would at least go some way to slowing it down.
 
Difference between regular flu and swine flu:
1) With H1N1 (2009 Swine Flu), within 5 days it is possible to have the onset of severe respiratory symptoms that progress to pneumonia or other life-threatening complications.
2) Our immune systems have never been exposed to the swine flu virus or anything similar, so we lack resistance to it.
3) The swine flu will be harder to stop because there aren't any vaccines to fight it as of now.
4) About half of the people killed worldwide with swine flu were young and previously healthy. In contrast, regular forms of the seasonal flu typically prove most lethal to the very young and the elderly.
 
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Besides the above what worries me is that if I or my husband or our daughter get the virus then we will have to be admitted to the hospital for a few days. We don't have a full-time helper or family to help us out if such a situation arises. Who will take care of my daughter if I get sick???
 
When I think logically about it I am not concerned as the risk of severe infection is no worse than normal flu, but then I read on here all this stuff and it makes me wonder if it is worse or what is going on and panic a bit, which is why I posted the question, but logically it is community acquired which means unless you 100% stay inside your house and isolate yourself, never let anyone in your household go outside you can't be sure you won't get it from a doorknob, let alone a sick person.

quote from health canada
As of June 22, 2009, a total of 6,457 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus have been reported in all provinces and territories in Canada (see Table 1 below). To date, 404 hospitalizations and fifteen deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases.

6457 confirmed cases and 15 deaths, small numbers espcially when you consider that the number of cases will actually be much higher than 6457, and lots of people will never ever be tested even though they have the disease.
 
geomum said:
4) About half of the people killed worldwide with swine flu were young and previously healthy. In contrast, regular forms of the seasonal flu typically prove most lethal to the very young and the elderly.
Click to expand...

Where did you get this information from?
Everything I've heard is that the people who are diying have underlying poor health conditions.
 
geomum said:
Besides the above what worries me is that if I or my husband or our daughter get the virus then we will have to be admitted to the hospital for a few days. We don't have a full-time helper or family to help us out if such a situation arises. Who will take care of my daughter if I get sick???
Click to expand...

My thinking is that they would quarantine the entire family if you indeed came down with swine flu. That has been the case with previous people who have come down with it. They don't just quarantine the sick person but everyone and anyone who may have had contact with him/her (taxi drivers, hotel staff, passengers sitting next to the person) Which means you might be sent to live in a designated hospital or the camp center that they have set up. And that means your daughter would likely be following you there along with your husband. And if you are truly ill where you cannot care for her and your family, there will be medical staff there to care for her. That is my guess.
 
thanka2 said:
My thinking is that they would quarantine the entire family if you indeed came down with swine flu. That has been the case with previous people who have come down with it. They don't just quarantine the sick person but everyone and anyone who may have had contact with him/her (taxi drivers, hotel staff, passengers sitting next to the person) Which means you might be sent to live in a designated hospital or the camp center that they have set up. And that means your daughter would likely be following you there along with your husband. And if you are truly ill where you cannot care for her and your family, there will be medical staff there to care for her. That is my guess.
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Thanka, I think that used to be the case a week or so earlier. I heard news at 7:30pm on Pearl yesterday and the Govt has said that only serious cases will be hospitalized the rest will be told to stay at home.
 
Today's news says that 400 people have (or have had) swain flu in Hong Kong but none have been so ill to go to the intensive care.
 
barbwong_130 said:
Where did you get this information from?
Everything I've heard is that the people who are diying have underlying poor health conditions.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily "poor health conditions", just underlying conditions which include being under 2 years old and being pregnant.
 
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