Press Releases

Transcript of Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food on SARS

Following is a transcript (English portion) of the remarks made by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (January 10):

Dr Yeoh: This is a period where pneumonia is very prevalent in the community, particularly pneumonia arising from influenza. So we have put in place an effective mechanism which is very sensitive to pick up any cases that we see of the SARS coronavirus causing pneumonia. That is why we have asked the hospitals to test all patients of pneumonia for the coronavirus so that we have a sensitive system picking up at the earliest possible time any possible resurgence of SARS, then followed by very strict contact tracing and overall effective control measures. So what we have put in place is a sensitive surveillance system, a good contact tracing and a comprehensive control system. So we should be in a much better position to be able to pick up any case of SARS that may recur in Hong Kong.

As I was saying that because there is one confirmed case of SARS in Guangzhou and one suspected case, and on top of that, we have research from the University of Hong Kong with the Guangdong academics that the civet cats in the wholesale market in Guangzhou have these coronavirus. Obviously at the moment there is a risk of other cases being reported in Guangzhou. We do not have the extent of the problem. The World Health Organisation has already sent a team of experts to assess the situation there and to see how this first patient in Guangzhou got the infection. So we are waiting for that information.

I think we all should take precautions. The government has been stepping up the health checks at the borders. But it is also important that the Hong Kong community cooperates in the measures as well. There are two important things that the community should do. One, of course, if you have travelled to the Guangdong province and then you come back, if you have any fever, cough, see a doctor early, so that if there is any possible chance of SARS that we pick it up very quickly. The second is that for individuals with respiratory illnesses to wear a mask. Wearing a mask itself is insufficient. We should always wash our hands because the mask can be contaminated. If you wear a mask and you touch the mask, and then you touch your hands, nose and mouth, then you can get infections through those routes because many viruses, in fact, enter the body not just through respiratory passages, but through the eyes, the mouth and the nose.

(Chinese portion)

Reporter: Actually, do you think we are entering in a high risk period of SARS? Are you worrying that Hong Kong will have one or two cases or even an outbreak of SARS?

Dr Yeoh: As we have said, experts always advise us that this period is always put out as a high risk period for SARS. And I was saying that this is a high risk period in the context of one case being confirmed in Guangzhou and another suspected case which they have announced. On top of that, we also have that research done by the University of Hong Kong with the Guangdong academics that the civet cats in the wholesale market in Guangzhou have high prevalence of this SARS-related coronavirus which may infect people. With those factors in mind, this is a very sensitive period for us in Hong Kong because this is a period where there may be some of these cornonaviruses that may possibly come to Hong Kong. So we are stepping up all our measures, both at the borders and also in our hospitals and clinics, to make sure that we are able to detect any new cases of SARS at the earliest possible time, so that we are able to put up preventive measures.

Reporter: Are you worrying that Hong Kong will have one or two cases in the present or in the coming three months?

Dr Yeoh: I think certainly in the current context, the next three weeks would be critical because now that the Guangzhou authorities have already put up measures to control it, that if there is any danger from that, it should disappear after (inaudible). Obviously, this is based on the common knowledge but we need to really understand what has actually been happening and the World Health Organisation team is over in Guangzhou to better understand the factors leading to the present infections and what such conditions are. I think we would have to wait for those studies before we come to any conclusion. But certainly, this is a high risk period that needs to put in place measures.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)

Ends/Saturday, January 10, 2004
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