Two-year-old boy dies from flu in Hong Kong, the first young death of city’s winter influenza season
- Tuen Mun Hospital spokesman says boy was admitted to its paediatric intensive care unit on January 20
- Paediatricians gave boy Tamiflu, antibiotics and antiepileptic drugs
A two-year-old boy has died from flu in Hong Kong – the first child fatality of this year’s winter influenza season.
A Tuen Mun Hospital spokesman said the boy was admitted to its paediatric intensive care unit on January 20 after being treated at the accident and emergency department of Tin Shui Wai Hospital the same day.
Paediatricians gave the boy Tamiflu – an antiviral medicine for the treatment of the illness – antibiotics and antiepileptic drugs.
He was diagnosed with acute necrotising encephalitis and needed a mechanical ventilator to help him breathe.
His condition continued to deteriorate and he died at 7pm on Monday.
The boy’s family said that before visiting the public hospital they had consulted a private doctor, who confirmed the boy had the influenza A virus and prescribed Tamiflu.
The case will be referred to the Centre for Health Protection for investigation.
According to figures released by the Hospital Authority, the overall paediatric inpatient bed occupancy rate was 87 per cent as of midnight Sunday.
The busiest hospitals were Tseung Kwan O Hospital in Kowloon East, which had 108 per cent occupancy, and Prince of Wales Hospital in New Territories East and Kwong Wah Hospital in Kowloon, both recording 103 per cent.
The flu outbreak has swept through education facilities in Hong Kong. Some 389 kindergartens and childcare centres had reported an outbreak as of last Friday, prompting the government to bring forward all kindergarten schools’ Lunar New Year holiday to curb the spread.
A total of 222 serious adult cases requiring intensive care was recorded as of January 27, of which 102 had died. In the same period, 16 children had serious complications.
