Hong Kong's First Coronavirus Cases

A second patient with the coronavirus is moved to Princess Margaret Hospital

As I said two days ago, it was only a matter of time before Hong Kong had confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus and today two were reported, heightening people's fears in the city -- is this SARS 2.0?

In late afternoon, a mainland tourist from Wuhan was found to have a fever when he arrived at the West Kowloon high speed rail terminus, though the four family members traveling with him did not show any symptoms. There was a race to stop him from flying to Manila.

Sophia Chan says holiday campsites are ready for outbreaks

He had taken the high-speed rail from Wuhan to Shenzhen North, and from there to West Kowloon. The family stayed at the Empire Hotel Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. The patient is now quarantined at Princess Margaret Hospital, where the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre is located.

Hours later the second case was reported, a man who had visited Wuhan and is now also isolated at the same hospital. The initial test came back positive and the second test is pending.

So far Hong Kong health officials are not advising everyone in the city to wear face masks, though the mayor of Wuhan has made this mandatory.

Cathay Pacific attendants can now wear masks for all flights

Cathay Pacific flight attendants working on flights to the mainland were allowed to wear masks, and the staff had to fight with management to be able to wear masks on all flights, because really, with cases reported outside of China, there is a strong possibility of becoming infected, especially in a confined space like an airplane.

In the meantime yesterday Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee has said two public holiday campsites, Lady MacLehose Holiday Village and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village that are managed by the government will be used to quarantine people in case of a local outbreak.

"Once we have confirmed a case in Hong Kong,  the Centre of Health Protection will first of all identify their close contacts and put them under medical surveillance," she said. "All those close contacts will be isolated in the holiday camps."

When the camps admit patients, two nurses and a doctor will be on hand to monitor them.

Macau also announced its first case of a middle-aged woman from Wuhan falling ill from the coronavirus on Wednesday. She was not detected with flu symptoms until after a week after she arrived in the former Portuguese enclave. The two friends she was with have been quarantined and put under medical surveillance.

The spread of the Wuhan coronavirus on a map by Bloomberg

So how do you protect yourself?

Medical experts say there is no need to panic, but if you want to take precautions then when in public wear a mask -- the three-ply surgical masks to completely cover your nose and mouth. Also wash your hands regularly with soap and water for about 20 seconds. If soap is not available then use an anti-bacterial or alcohol rub also for about 20 seconds.

If you feel feverish, quarantine yourself at home and don't come to work. If it gets serious, contact your doctor and if you have traveled to China recently do tell him or her on the phone so that they can be prepared beforehand.

Hopefully with more knowledge and trying to contain cases as soon as possible, we won't have a tragic repeat of SARS in 2003 when there were 1,755 cases and 17 people died.

At least Wuhan is doing its bit with the mayor insisting everyone wear a mask and not to travel in or out of the city. Some people there have had to cancel their plans to travel during the Spring Festival.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government needs to seriously rethink the existence of these live animal markets -- are they really necessary and should people be eating such exotic animals?