Bird flu expert urges vigilance - All schools in Hong Kong have just been closed a week early becaus

Bird flu expert urges vigilance - All schools in Hong Kong have just been closed a week early!!

uk.reuters.com

In Hong Kong, the government shut a primary school early ahead of the Easter holidays after one of its students, a 7-year-old boy, died at noon on Tuesday. The boy was admitted to hospital last week with flu-like symptoms and authorities are still trying to determine the cause of his illness.

Thomas Tsang, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said five other pupils at the school have been admitted to hospital for respiratory infection and their conditions were stable. Three samples have tested positive for influenza A, Tsang said, without specifying the strain.

"The school will close early for Easter from tomorrow ... to facilitate disinfection," Tsang told a news conference. But he said there was no reason to close all schools in Hong Kong, although they would monitor the situation closely.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk

[edit on 12/3/08 by ChiKeyMonKey]

The above article said that there was no need to close all the schools, but my wife just received a call from her aunty telling her to watch the news and that our son would not have school until after Easter.

I've just watched the news and true enough the schools are all closing.

Scared!!

I bloody well am. I was here during SARS and I really don't want to go through all that again, it freaked me out!

"A school has been closed in Hong Kong amid fears of a return of a mysterious flu epidemic.

More than 30 students have flu-like symptoms and one of them died on Tuesday.

Two other young children have died in separate cases from flu-like illnesses in recent weeks.

An expert team is to assess whether the cases are linked to either bird flu or to Sars, the severe acute respiratory syndrome that hit Hong Kong in 2003." - From the BBC.

That's from a few hours ago on the BBC, before the announcement to close ALL of the schools, the last time they did that was in 03 during SARS

Needless to say I will be monitoring the situation very closely.

MonKey

Mods - sorry about the extra in the title, but there isn't a link for it yet, it just happened!





uk.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Man..that would be scary to be living there. As a father myself, I can certainly empathise. Keep us posted on that Monkey. Thanks for sharing.

I think I would advise anyone to put off a trip to Hong Kong until they've got this all sorted out...

More news

Hong Kong asks top scientist to study child deaths amid flu outbreaks
8 hours ago
HONG KONG — Hong Kong has asked one of its top scientists to study three child deaths over the past week amid a flu outbreak, the territory's health secretary said Wednesday.
He said Yuen Kwok-yung, who helped study Hong Kong's outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak or SARS about four years ago, will head a panel of scientists in studying the recent deaths.
Health secretary York Chow told reporters that it was not clear if the three cases were linked but that he became concerned after the most recent death - that of a seven-year-old boy on Tuesday - because five of the victim's classmates have also been hospitalized.

The wife has had FIVE phone calls now to make sure she knows that the schools are closed... It's nearly 23-30...

MonKey

Five calls from school officials or just from family and friends?

It must be pretty damned scary for you there right now..

I feel sorry for the three children too. According to officals, a string of contingency measures are now put in effect to combat flu that recalled action taken during the Sars emergency five years ago.

reply to post by damefool


I agree, three children have lost their lives and that is very sad. (On a side note: Nice to see a fellow Honky on the boards!!)

The latest news is that one of the children tested positive for H3N2.

Wiki H3N2 Link

Tests are on-going!

MTABP - The calls have come from 2 Uncles, an Aunty, school friend's mum and the class teacher (in that order.)

I have also called my Mum and sister who went home 2 days ago after a short visit!

MonKey

I am confused. The thread title (not the same as source, BTW) says that ALL schools closed, the article says only one school closed.

"The school will close early for Easter from tomorrow ... to facilitate disinfection," Tsang told a news conference. But he said there was no reason to close all schools in Hong Kong, although they would monitor the situation closely.

Isnt this why we are supposed to only use the article title?

Good luck over there OP, Id be getting worried and thinking about leaving town if I could.


[edit on 12-3-2008 by cavscout]

Originally posted by ChiKeyMonKey


Nice to see a fellow Honky on the boards!!)

Ok, It took me a second to realize that what you mean by Honky is someone from Hong Kong.

For a minute I totally took your line to mean "Whassup Cracka!"

Just wanted to clarify that for anyone else who had the same reaction as me.

That's some good lookin' out there, Quazga...

As for the topic.....bummer. That is definitely something to worry about. I can only hope that it is an exaggerated reaction and that you guys are okay, ChiKey MonKey....

Originally posted by cavscout
I am confused. The thread title (not the same as source, BTW) says that ALL schools closed, the article says only one school closed.

"The school will close early for Easter from tomorrow ... to facilitate disinfection," Tsang told a news conference. But he said there was no reason to close all schools in Hong Kong, although they would monitor the situation closely.

Isnt this why we are supposed to only use the article title?

Good luck over there OP, Id be getting worried and thinking about leaving town if I could.


[edit on 12-3-2008 by cavscout]

Yeah er you're right, but I did add that the schools being closed had just been announced so I didn't have a link to back it up - now I do (from 11 mins ago!!)

Update

To everyone else... Sorry about the honky confusion! Didn't even cross my mind. The correct term is Hong Konger.

I hope this is an over reaction, but having been here through SARS and how the Gov delayed closing the schools then, (I'm an English (sort of) teacher) I'm very glad they are taking this approach.

MonKey

Originally posted by ChiKeyMonKey
reply to post by damefool

 

I agree, three children have lost their lives and that is very sad. (On a side note: Nice to see a fellow Honky on the boards!!)

The latest news is that one of the children tested positive for H3N2.

Wiki H3N2 Link

Tests are on-going!

MTABP - The calls have come from 2 Uncles, an Aunty, school friend's mum and the class teacher (in that order.)

I have also called my Mum and sister who went home 2 days ago after a short visit!

MonKey

*wave at the Monkey* Been lurking on this board for a couple of years now and so far, I believe I've seen 2 users are from HK.
Anyways, according to the latest new, only kindergarten and middle school or junior high are being closed for early Easter holiday.
Apparently this bird flu attacks children which has a weaker immune system than adults.

reply to post by damefool


Please keep us updated. The news may be filtered so we may not get the same "news".

When I was in Atlanta the guys at the CDC, whom I worked for, informed me of the danger of the Avian Flu. They took precautions such as TamiFlu,
canned goods, water, masks...etc.

Very sobering!

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

ChikeyMonkey,

I wish all your family the best and hope it is just an over reaction. Better safe than sorry. Keep us all up to date

Michelle

Originally posted by whiteraven
reply to post by damefool

 

Please keep us updated. The news may be filtered so we may not get the same "news".

When I was in Atlanta the guys at the CDC, whom I worked for, informed me of the danger of the Avian Flu. They took precautions such as TamiFlu,
canned goods, water, masks...etc.

Very sobering!

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

Here is the latest updates.
Another 21months old baby's life was taken by flu-like symptoms. Nevertheless which makes a total of 4 counts of death so far.. Geess....reporting sad news is not the happiest thing to do in the world.

Anyways, officals has announced as of yesterday, a total of 23 schools and 184 childrens were infected with flu-like symptoms, 9 had to be hospitalized.

[edit on 12-3-2008 by damefool]

Originally posted by whiteraven
reply to post by damefool

 

Please keep us updated. The news may be filtered so we may not get the same "news".

When I was in Atlanta the guys at the CDC, whom I worked for, informed me of the danger of the Avian Flu. They took precautions such as TamiFlu,
canned goods, water, masks...etc.

Very sobering!

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

[edit on 12-3-2008 by whiteraven]

It is a designed to increase flagging sales of Tamilflu....


After all people were wandering about all that BS about bird flu...so they cooked this up...

and don't forget Tamilflu killed 66 japanese kids...but they were not American so Foxnews don't care.

[edit on 13-3-2008 by esecallum]

Scary ?
yes maybe
not half as scary as when you find out why we have this virus and wherr does it come from ...


Ask yourself who gains then ask yourself why does it mutate then ask yourself again who gains !

I give you one tip ..its manmade ..OHH YES it is

and you drugs? ..Please dont be fools they
are uselss

Do your resaerch .....

Do it now !! later it is too late to find out who brought you this flu virus and why ...
DO IT!




[edit on 13-3-2008 by goatboy]

[edit on 13-3-2008 by goatboy]

It would appear and I'm being really hopeful here! That the GOV jumped the gun with the school closure, but saying that, I personally back them all the way.

Hospital wards all over Hong Kong have been at 120%+ and lots of the kiddies I have seen out and about have been wearing masks (which have doubled in price over night - Strange that!) which is a good thing.

Lots of gov buildings and NGO's have temp checking stations on the way in and are giving people masks to wear. I certainly haven't seen of felt the overall sense of panic that kicked in when they finally shut the schools during the SARS out break in 2003.

I remember my wife calling me and saying "Go to the shops and get some food, people are buying everything". I was like, yeah sure they are! When I got to the shops and saw people fighting over packet noodles... Crazy times! This time I haven't seen any of that, yet. I can see the local park from my window and there are plenty of kids running around in masks!!

False Alarm!!

I hope so.

MonKey

SO the scare is over.....I will do some research into bird flu. I remember when GWB went on vacation and the two books he had read while on vacation had to do with:

1: Thtwww.amazon.com...://www.bnd.com/466/story/227419.htmlhe 19,,,,the book

2:www.amazon.com...=nb_ss_b/103-9437634-4139003?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=salt&x=11&y=16 ...
Book on salt...history of...

This raised awarenss of Bird Flu for myself.

What news, books, articles are available showing "conspiricy" inspired origin of said flu.