Health officials expect peak winter flu season to hit Hong Kong next week as infections show upwards trend
- Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan urges public to get vaccinated against flu, coronavirus to maximise protection against respiratory illnesses
- ‘Based on the latest surveillance data, we soon, probably next week, may enter the flu surge period,’ she says
Hong Kong is expected to enter the peak winter flu season next week at a time when Covid-19 infections are rising, health officials have warned.
The officials called on the public, especially members of high-risk groups, on Thursday to get flu and coronavirus shots to avoid serious conditions.
“Based on the latest surveillance data, we soon, probably next week, may enter the flu surge period,” Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said during a press conference.
The prediction was based on two key indicators, according to Chuang. The first was the hospital admission rate of patients with a principal flu diagnosis, which had already exceeded the threshold signalling the start of a peak season.
The second key indicator was the percentage of respiratory specimens handled by public laboratories, which was also approaching the threshold.
“If both [indicators] are above the threshold, it means we have entered the flu surge period,” Chuang said.