HK to expect another flu peak in summer

The number of people die or admitted to the hospital because of influenza could be one of the highest in the last 15 years, Professor Paul Chan said Tuesday.

Paul Chan is a professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), who talked Tuesday about the current flu season situation in Hong Kong and expected another peak in summer.

The university's medical school released on Tuesday findings on an analysis of Hong Kong's current flu situation, showing that four out of every 1,000 elderly people were admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital, teaching hospital of CUHK, in January 2015, while less than two out of 1,000 were admitted each year on average between 1998 and 2012. A much higher death rate in elderly people was also seen in January this year.

Chan, from the university's microbiology department, said that this year's flu season is strong as the number of people infected is exceptionally high. Starting from Jan. 2, the disease has led to 145 deaths and more than 220 severe cases were recorded, according to the latest data released by Hong Kong's Department of Health.

Hong Kong's flu season, usually falls on February to March and June to July, has come early this year, which, Chan said was ascribed to the weather. "A temperature of more than 20 degrees ( Celsius) and a relative humidity less than 70 percent would help putting the flu season to an end."

Nelson Lee, professor of Infectious Diseases of CUHK, said neuraminidase inhibitors are effective for reducing death rate of flu victims from 7.6 percent to 5.3 percent, but they need to be used promptly, best within two days after flu symptoms emerged.