Hospital back to normal after ward closed by flu-like virus
A ward at a busy public hospital in Tai Po in which seven staff came down with flu-like symptoms two weeks ago will be reopened today after the hospital did not record any new cases.
Five nurses and two assistants from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital were isolated and a ward containing 24 patients was closed on August 25 after the seven came down with flu-like symptoms. All were later cleared of Sars. About 100 contacts were traced and given health advice.
The Hospital Authority announced yesterday the hospital's ward E3 would be reopened because all staff had recovered and resumed their duties.
But a male nurse from Castle Peak Hospital developed a mild cough and laryngitis and was on sick leave yesterday, bringing to six the number of that hospital's staff displaying flu-like symptoms.
The outbreak at the hospital in Tuen Mun initially involved 11 mental patients and three staff who fell ill on Friday. Two medical staff also called in sick on Monday, a spokeswoman for Castle Peak Hospital said yesterday.
The nurse who called in sick yesterday was described as being in a stable condition and was put in home isolation as a precautionary measure.
Fourteen people earlier fell ill with flu-like symptoms, which led to the closure of two medical wards at the psychiatric hospital since Friday. At least 80 mental patients, including the 11 sick ones, were isolated.
University of Hong Kong chair professor of the department of microbiology Yuen Kwok-yung reiterated his earlier call for both hospitals and the Hospital Authority 'to investigate and see what should be done. If it is really a hospital-acquired outbreak then something is very wrong,' he said.
Professor Yuen said both outbreaks were 'minor, only one or two of them developed fever. Many of them have just a runny nose and sore throat'.
Professor Yuen said the common-cold coronavirus 'very rarely kills but it still can kill. It is just like influenza; for every 1,000 you have one death, including normal and healthy people. With pneumonia, it [can be] fatal.'
Legislator Michael Mak Kwok-fung, representing the health services sector, said flu outbreaks easily gave rise to Sars scares as both exhibited similar symptoms including fever and coughs.
But it was nonetheless important to carry out precautionary measures - especially isolation of suspected cases - to prevent a new outbreak of Sars, Mr Mak said.
He said the public seemed to have lowered its guard in terms of Sars prevention, and people had become reluctant to wear masks in public, even when sick.
