Pandemic the main worry
More people are concerned about the possibility of a flu pandemic than a bird flu outbreak, and almost all workers feel they cannot rely on employers for help in the event of either crisis, a survey has found.
A study by People's Health Actions and Baptist University that surveyed 1,032 people found one in two families had prepared for bird flu or a flu pandemic by stocking face masks or medicine.
The survey found that 35.4 per cent of people were more concerned about pandemic flu than they were a year ago, while 21.1 per cent were more concerned about bird flu.
Those who were less concerned about a flu pandemic stood at 13 per cent, while 29.2 were less concerned about bird flu.
In the event of an outbreak of bird flu or a flu pandemic, a little more than half the respondents felt they would rely on themselves to survive, while 29.1 per cent felt they could rely on the government. Only 1.4 per cent felt they could rely on their employers.
People's Health Actions chairman Lo Wing-lok, an expert on infectious diseases, said the low level of preparedness by companies needed to be explored.
