Hong Kong this week recorded only its second death from swine flu. There may be an element of luck in that, but it says something about the effectiveness of the quick emergency response and follow-up by the city's health authorities. That infection and death rates are lower than in places such as the US, England and Australia speaks for itself.

Any defence, however, is only as good as its weak links. The death on Monday of a 37-year-old Filipino domestic helper with no other health risks exposed one such link. Sadly, medical authorities say the tragedy could have been avoided. A delay in seeking treatment was a major factor in her death, because drugs are most effective in the first two days after the onset of symptoms. The delay, of course, also means she was a potential spreader of swine flu for longer.

We do not know how this happened. But there are lessons to be learned. The helper was just one of more than 250,000 in this city, many of whom send some of their meagre pay home to help poor families. Their health care is the financial responsibility of their employer. But a maids' advocate estimates one in two will delay seeking medical treatment after falling ill because they are afraid of losing their jobs if they ask their employers to help. She cites three recent examples of dismissals in these circumstances that give rise to this fear. Hopefully this is a big overestimate, but sadly there remains a ring of truth to it. Maids can, it is true, seek treatment independently at a hospital for HK$100, but paying even that amount can be a disincentive, especially when they are counting the days to the next monthly pay packet. This raises worries about the response of a large section of the community to doctors' advice to seek treatment promptly and stay away from work if unwell.