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The 29-year-old Japanese traveller who was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) earlier today (November 26) has tested negative for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said.
Results of preliminary tests carried out by the Public Health Laboratory Centre of DH this afternoon yielded negative results for SARS-coronavirus.
The man, who arrived from the Mainland on November 24, felt unwell while staying at a hotel in Hong Kong. He sought medical treatment at a private hospital yesterday and was subsequently transferred to QEH for treatment and surveillance.
As a precautionary measure, DH staff contacted the hotel concerned this morning to give health and disinfection advice.
The spokesman stressed that DH will closely monitor developments and remain on high alert.
"The incident clearly indicates that DH, the Hospital Authority, the private hospital and the hotel concerned are working in close liaison in the prevention of SARS. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of Hong Kong's disease surveillance system," he said.
The following measures have been put in place to prevent the resurgence of SARS in Hong Kong:
At entry points into Hong Kong:
* Health screening measures, including health declaration and temperature screening at all border control points.
Regional co-operation to monitor communicable diseases:
* Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau to notify one another on SARS and to exchange information on other infectious diseases.
* Hong Kong will continue to maintain close contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and overseas health authorities to enhance the existing disease surveillance system.
Health guidelines for stakeholders:
* Guidelines for SARS prevention are kept under regular review to ensure practical application. DH will update its health advice to different sectors of the community, including the tourism and hotel industries, to facilitate the formulation of tailor-made health instructions and SARS-related training programmes.
Flu vaccinations:
* DH has almost completed the influenza vaccination programme for the elderly in residential care homes and residents of institutions for the mentally and physically disabled to help reduce the burden on the health care system arising from influenza, which may be mistaken for SARS.
Public awareness of SARS:
* Publicity programme on SARS prevention is in progress to heighten public vigilance against the disease.
The spokesman added that the most effective measure against SARS is to strictly observe good personal and environmental hygiene.
To prevent respiratory tract infections, the public is advised to adopt the following measures:
* Wash hands after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose;
* Maintain good ventilation;
* Avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation;
* Consult a doctor promptly when respiratory symptoms appear;
* Put on a mask if suffering from respiratory tract infection to reduce the chance of spreading the infection to others; and
* Build up good bodily immunity by having a proper diet, regular exercise and adequate rest, reducing stress and avoiding smoking.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2003
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