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[1] Some health experts warned last month that the existing flu season is expected to continue into November and urged the public to get vaccinated as a preventive measure. Here are different types of flu circulating in the city, what health experts say and how residents can protect themselves.
[2] Both influenza A and B can develop into severe, life-threatening diseases. While influenza B is less common and more likely to cause milder illness, it can be severe in children and the elderly, according to respiratory medicine specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu. The H3 subtype of influenza A is currently the most common strain in Hong Kong, accounting for around 60 per cent of local infections, followed by the H1 subtype at around 35 per cent.
[3] According to Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, vaccines available in Hong Kong cover all strains prevailing locally, and therefore remain effective in preventing both the summer and winter flu.
[4] Dr Leung said the seasonal pattern of influenza in Hong Kong has become unpredictable, with each wave potentially lasting longer and increasing the likelihood of overlap between the summer and winter flu seasons. Tsui said the summer flu outbreaks in Hong Kong had yet to peak and were expected to continue into at least November.
[5] As the weather turns colder, the winter flu will emerge, making an overlap between the two seasons still possible and increasing the risk of outbreaks, he added. Professor Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection, said earlier that global warming could cause an overlap between the delayed summer flu season and the approaching winter surge. “The summer flu season has just begun [due to global warming] and now, we are approaching autumn,” Lau said.
[6] The common cold and influenza share similar symptoms — fever, cough, sore throat and fatigue — and can be difficult to distinguish. But according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu symptoms tend to present themselves abruptly, while those of a cold develop more gradually. Some symptoms, such as fever, chills, severe muscle aches and fatigue, are more typical of influenza, while stuffy or runny nose and sore throat are more often associated with a cold, according to the agency. Influenza can also lead to serious complications such as pneumonia.
[7] The most reliable way to confirm a flu infection is to take a test. There is a list of rapid test kits recognised by the Hong Kong authorities, some of which are sold in pharmacies. Dr Leung urged all residents to get vaccinated and called for early antiviral treatment for children, the elderly and other high-risk groups. He added that people should observe good personal hygiene and avoid high-risk situations.
Source: South China Morning Post, October 14
