Rise in Hong Kong flu infections expected as temperatures drop over Lunar New Year holiday, health expert warns

‘It’s related to the weather, the virus is less active when it’s warm,’ says David Hui, professor of respiratory medicine at Chinese University

Temperatures may drop to a low of 12 degrees Celsius on both Lunar New Year’s Eve and Lunar New Year’s Day

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Shoppers buy festive decorations at Tai Kiu Market in Yuen Long. Temperatures are expected to drop during the coming Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 2:35pm, 4 Feb 2024Updated: 4:41pm, 4 Feb 2024

Flu infections are expected to rise in Hong Kong as temperatures plummet over the Lunar New Year holiday, despite a drop in the number of cases in recent weeks, a health expert has warned.

David Hui Shu-cheong, professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on Sunday said the number of flu cases had fluctuated since the start of the year.

“It’s related to the weather, the virus is less active when it’s warm,” Hui told a radio programme. “In the coming Lunar New Year holiday, the number of infections may rebound anytime as the north winds arrive.”

He added that the risk of infection in crowded places was high and urged those with symptoms to stay home.

The city’s weather forecaster has predicted temperatures will fall progressively in the coming week. Photo: Jelly Tse

The professor also advised residents heading to mainland China over the holiday to maintain hand hygiene and refrain from touching poultry and birds to prevent catching bird flu.

The Hong Kong Observatory has predicted that temperatures in the city will fall progressively in the coming week, potentially dropping to a low of 11 and 12 degrees Celsius (51.2 and 53.6 Fahrenheit) on both Lunar New Year’s Eve on Friday and Lunar New Year’s Day on Saturday.