Hong Kongs peak winter flu season to coincide with rise in coronavirus cases – YP

Hong Kong is set for a double whammy next week as the peak winter flu season is expected to begin, coinciding with a rise in Covid-19 infections, as per health officials.

The officials called on the public, especially members of high-risk groups, yesterday 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 Protections communicable disease branch, said during a press conference.

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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.

Currently, influenza A subtype H3 is the most prevalent type of flu virus in the city, making up about 80 per cent of infections. It is followed by influenza B and flu A subtype H1.

Chuang said that serious flu cases had also been slightly increasing, with official data showing 23 were registered last week, up from 14 the week before.

Health authorities noted the city was also recording more Covid-19 infections.

The overall active level of Covid-19 has also significantly increased, Chuang said, stressing the viral load in sewage samples and the number of infection cases had risen.

The viral load found in sewage samples surged by about 40 per cent between the December 24 to 30 period, compared with the week before. But serious and fatal Covid-19 cases had not significantly increased, she said.

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Officials expected JN. 1, which the World Health Organization (WHO) listed as a variant of interest, could replace XBB to become the dominant Covid-19 strain in the city.

This variant has a growth advantage over other existing variants, Chuang said, adding that a significant increase in the proportion of this strain out of all coronavirus infections overseas had been recorded within a short period of time.

She said a similar phenomenon had also been observed in Hong Kong, adding that 60 per cent of patients specimens and 26 per cent of sewage samples had the emerging variant.

The WHO said no evidence showing JN.1 could bring extra public health risks globally, compared with other circulating strains such as XBB, she said.

The inpatient bed occupancy rate at acute care hospitals stood at 116 per cent as of Wednesday, while that at paediatric departments was 92 per cent in the same period.

The government has procured 200,000 doses of XBB vaccine, with priority vaccination given to the high-risk groups.

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the centres emergency response and programme management branch, said about 20,000 doses had been administered since mid-December when the vaccine was made available.

But he said the overall Covid vaccination rates among young and old people remained low. Only 30 per cent of children aged six months to three years had received the vaccine, while a quarter of elderly people aged over 80 had taken four or more doses.

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Hong Kongs peak winter flu season to coincide with rise in coronavirus cases - YP