Latest pneumonia outbreak developments

In the news:

1. HK Government has invoked the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance so, among other things, people who have had close contact with those infected are required to be quarantined for 10 days or face prosecution, and immigration checkpoints will carry out screenings (Singapore has invoked a very similar ordinance, but they did this several days earlier)
   
2. 51 more people infected today — out of the 51, 6 healthcare workers and 22 from a residential area
   
3. 1 Filipino domestic helper has died of the disease this past Monday
   
4. Virus spreading to the general public, not just medical personnel
   
5. 5 families living on different floors of a housing estate (Amoy Garden in Kowloon Bay) have come down with the disease
   
6. Spreading to transport workers — an MTR subway worker (Wanchai station) and a bus driver (Long Win bus company, a division of KMB) have been infected
   
7. All schools (excluding universities) will be closed for 10 days starting from Saturday
   
8. Jockey Club is requiring all staff in betting outlets to wear masks after an employee got infected
   
9. Yesterday, the Central Library (in Causeway Bay) and a Bank of East Asia branch office were closed because staff contracted the disease
   
10. Rolling Stones concert scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights postponed
    
11. In Singapore, from yesterday, all schools (excluding the universities) have been closed for 10 days, affecting over 500,000 students
    
12. In Singapore, over 800 people have been quarantined and 2 have died
    

Personal observations and experiences:

1. Many more people wearing masks today — my guess is around 30-40%
   
2. Masks and Isopropyl Alcohol sold out at all Watson's and Manning's stores
   
3. Some restaurants (including Yung Kee) and SmarTone (mobile phone service provider) are requiring all staff to wear masks
   

This article in today's Washington Post covers the outbreak developments well. It includes these alarming statements:

1. Worldwide, 1,323 cases have been reported, including 49 deaths.
   
2. SARS has been identified in 13 countries plus Hong Kong and has infected 45 people in 20 U.S. states, including three in Virginia.
   
3. Leung Pak-yin, the deputy director of health in Hong Kong, said at a news conference: "If you are on the plane and an infected person is sitting either behind or in front of you and he coughs, you can get infected."
   

Posted by derek at March 27, 2003 08:04 PM