HK's Pathetic Vaccine Rate Keeps City Isolated

An elderly couple (right) takes a selfie after getting the jab

 

Hongkongers are still dragging their feet when it comes to vaccinations for Covid-19, and health experts are saying the city needs to have 80 to 90 percent of the population inoculated before social-distancing restrictions could be further relaxed.

Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, co-convenor of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following Covid-19 Immunization, says the government's strategy of "zero infections" is unrealistic and would rather see more people vaccinated.

Hung warns elderly to get inoculated

"We can maintain the zero-infection streak, but Hong Kong cannot isolate itself forever as we are an international business hub. Our strategy needs to change over time," Hung said. "But without achieving a very high vaccination rate of up to 90 percent, we don't have the conditions to open up."

So far 42.2 percent of the 7.5 million residents are fully vaccinated, and the numbers across different age groups vary wildly.

Those aged 40-49 leading the way at 62.8 percent with second doses, followed closely by the 50-59 group at 56.3 percent. Even those aged 30-39 are trailing at 53.7 percent.

But perhaps the most pathetic are those 80 and above at an appalling 6.9 percent fully vaccinated, and those 70-79 at 24.5 percent. 

Interestingly 54.2 percent of women have gotten the vaccine compared to 45.8 percent of men.

Many elderly are worried about side effects, but Hung said the jabs are safe for them, including those with diabetes and high blood pressure, and that less than 2 percent suffered serious side effects, such as facial paralysis, or strong allergic reactions.  

Only 42.2 percent of population is vaccinated

He warned people over 75 years old who contract Covid-19 are much more likely to die than younger patients.

But will the elderly heed Hung's call?

Many are worried the vaccinations are fatal -- there were news reports early on of seniors getting vaccinated and dying a few days later, mainly from preexisting health issues, but that was enough to scare the elderly from getting jabbed.

They also feel that with so few cases in the community that they don't see the need in getting vaccinated.

Meanwhile those who have been vaccinated are waiting for everyone else to get on board the inoculation wagon, but by the time we get to 90 percent we will probably need booster shots.

It's never ending...

 

Do We Need More Bubble Tea?

Customers wait over an hour for bubble tea at Tiger Sugar in Causeway Bay

 Would you wait over an hour for bubble tea?

It's all the craze in Hong Kong which I find bizarre as bubble tea was the drink of the 80s and now it's back again?

This bubble tea shop is social media savvy

Over a month ago a colleague told me about a shop called Tiger Sugar that opened in Causeway Bay and people were willing to wait over an hour for the drink -- even though they were wilting in the heat.

And landlords are greedily rubbing their hands together at the thought of more bubble tea brands coming to the city looking for spaces to rent.

Since July there were 62 different brands of bubble tea in Hong Kong with 282 shops.

Do we really need more?

Apparently the demand is there. These shops just need 250 sq ft to 300 sq ft preferably near schools, offices, where young people hang out like Mongkok, Jordan, Causeway Bay, Central.

And the shops are financially able to afford rents now that they have dropped about 20 percent since the peak in 2014. With rents at around HK$300 to HK$400 per sq ft, that means the total rent could be HK$90,000 to HK$120,000. That's a lot of cups of bubble tea to sell.

People take pictures to show others what they're drinking

What is driving the demand is social media -- people posting pictures of the drinks they have bought, raving about how long they waited and yet the bubble tea was so good. Those looking at the pictures feel like they're missing out.

Not me!

Bubble tea drinks are hardly healthy, as it's the giant tapioca balls are made of starch, which means lots of sugar. No one really finishes all those tapioca balls and even worse the drinks are served in plastic cups with plastic straws. Hardly environmentally friendly.

And we're going to have more bubble tea shops?

This craze is temporary and then many of these shops are going to close down. Then again I might be wrong, but it's definitely breeding a lot of potential diabetics in the future...

A Stock to Watch

Shoppers could buy everything from junk food to staples at this chain store

For many Hongkongers 759 Store is a shop they like to browse in, especially for snacks from Japan, though it has grown to include ones from Europe and the United States. It also carries noodles, rice, sauces, and even frozen seafood.

I've written about 759 Store before, and the shop got its name from the parent company's stock number on the stock exchange.

However, it was shocking to find out yesterday that the founder and owner, Coils Lam Wai-chun, died unexpectedly on Saturday at the age of 60. It was disclosed he had diabetes for a long time.

Coils Lam died on Saturday at the age of 60

Instead of the parent company's stock falling, it more than doubled in value today. On Friday it closed at HK46.5 cents and then today went as high as HK$1.04 before closing at HK89 cents. That's because investors think positive change is on the way.

"The passing away of the founding chairman is sad news. However, it also give hope to investors that it may have the way for a major restructuring, or even merger and acquisition opportunities. This has led buyers to rush to bet on the stock on Monday," explained Jeffrey Chan Lap-tak, founding partner of Oriental Patron Financial Group.

"The 759 Store in fact is very popular and has a leading market position among snack retailers. Its [financial] results were not good in recent years, mainly due to an over expansion of the number of stores a few years ago. But the reduction of stores in the past two years has already helped the company get back on track. It may well be a target of acquisition," he said.

Like many small and medium-sized enterprises, they were dependent on their founders, like Lam in the case of 759 Store. Lam and his wife Law Ching-yee own 70.89 percent of CEC International, the parent company.

The future of 759 Store looks positive in terms of stock value

"Now the founder has died. We will need to wait and see if the new management can lead the business forwards," Chan said.

On Sunday the board held an urgent meeting and decided executive director Tang Fung-kwan, 48, will become the new chairwoman of the company. She joined the group in 1993 and was appointed executive director in 1999. She is responsible for the overall management of the procurement part of the business.

Lam founded 759 Store in 2010, competing with supermarkets by offering Japanese and Korean snacks, like cookies and chips before expanding to rice, coffee, and even wine.

It'll be interesting to see how the company fares post-Lam -- will it succeed or fall apart? The company will need to make some wise decisions, but so far cutting down the number of stores from 270 to 220 is a good start. Maybe the chain will be bought out, or maybe with the injected investment they can do other things.

Definitely a stock to watch!

More Weighty Hong Kong Statistics

There's a lot more overweight people in Hong Kong than 10 years ago

Here's a shocking statistic -- half of Hongkongers aged 15 and above are overweight or obese, while the number of people who drink alcohol has doubled over the past decade, according to a citywide health survey by the government.

The study of more than 12,000 people from December 2014 to August 2016 showed a horrific picture of people's dietary habits.

More than 86 percent consumed too much salt, nearly 50 percent had high cholesterol, and almost 60 percent suffered from one or more conditions of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Many turn to comfort foods when they are stressed or busy

The number of overweight people rose from 17.8 percent to 20.1 percent, while those who are obese increased from 21 percent to 29.9 percent of the population.

From the statistics, the survey predicted a 10.6 percent risk of cardiovascular problems, including coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and heart failure among those aged 30 to 74 over the next 10 years.

Director of health Constance Chan Hon-yee said that alcohol consumption was a worrying trend. Ten years ago, 61.6 percent of those surveyed claimed to hardly touch alcohol, but this time 61.4 percent said they were drinkers. Many confessed to binge drinking -- from 2.2 percent a decade ago to 9.6 percent in this latest study.

"The affordability of alcohol has a direct impact on people's drinking habits," said Chan, though strangely she did not want to link the increased drinking to the scrapping of wine duties in 2008. Wine and spirits with an alcoholic strength of no more than 30 percent by volume are tax-free in Hong Kong.

The increased alcohol consumption is combined with eating too much salt and 94.4 percent not eating enough fruits and vegetables. It sounds like a giant ticking time bomb.

Increased alcohol consumption is also causing health issues

It seems strange to me that this is happening as I notice more people becoming more health-conscious and some trying to eat less meat in general and exercise a bit more. Or are these people only a tiny sliver of the population?

However, there are those who find their jobs stressful and food is a way for them to comfort themselves after a long day at the office. This is where they make bad dietary choices and feel they deserve to eat what they want. A lot of people don't cook at home, and would rather either eat out or have it delivered.

Hong Kong is a free port and a relatively capitalist society that doesn't want to nag people into telling them what they can and cannot eat. But the government needs to face the reality it has a fast-growing elderly population and encouraging them to be as healthy as possible is the best way to try to prevent medical bills from going through the roof.

While Chan wants to step up monitoring people's health every two years, that doesn't do any good if the government doesn't do anything to really push its residents to become more healthy.

Human Rights Lawyer on Trial in Beijing

Pu Zhiqiang was on trial yesterday for what he wrote on Weibo

Yesterday one of China's most outspoken human rights lawyers, Pu Zhiqiang defended himself in court on charges of inciting ethnic hatred or "provoked trouble" by writing microblog commentaries critical of the Communist Party.

Pu's lawyer Shang Baojun said the three-hour trial at Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ended with no verdict, though he expected one "very soon".

The trial took place 19 months after Pu was detained by police after he attended a private seminar to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Many believe his detainment and subsequent trial are a way to silence him and warn other rights advocates not to speak out.

Plainclothes police in black masks shoved supporters around

Pu is charged with "inciting ethnic hatred" and "provoking quarrels and provoking trouble" for the content of seven Weibo messages he posted online between July 2011 and May 2014.

He could face up to eight years in jail.

The online messages are mostly critical of the government's handling of an ethnic conflict in Kunming, Yunnan province last year, and sarcastic comments about two officials.

Shang, Pu's lawyer, said while Pu admitted his microblog writing style was "sharp, caustic and sometimes vulgar", "he said he didn't think he had incited ethnic hatred or provoked trouble. He had no such intention," Shang said.

Pu was not asked whether he admitted to his guilt during the trial.

Security was tight outside the courthouse and while there were many supporters, some of whom were pushed around forcefully by plainclothes police wearing black face masks while talking to foreign media.

Even foreign diplomats were roughly handled, including American diplomat Dan Biers who tried to read out a statement. It took a while before the situation calmed down before he could read it out in its entirety.

A supporter was forcefully pushed to the ground while filmed

He said the United States embassy called for Pu's release and urged "China to uphold fundamental civil rights and fair trial guarantees".

"Lawyers and civil society leaders such as Mr Pu should not be subject to continued repression but should be allowed to contribute to the building of a prosperous and stable society," Biers read out in his statement.

Some of Pu's supporters outside the courthouse chanted, "Pu Zhiqiang, not guilty!"

"He is a good lawyer who helped the underprivileged. He should never be convicted," said Zhang Jie, a petitioner from Jilin province.

Another from Henan province said: "How can he be charged just because of a few words he said?"

China law expert Eva Pils at King's College, London, said Pu's trial was "part of a crackdown on civil society [and] was clearly related to his free speech advocacy and role as a government critic".

"The authorities have made it clear that they see rights lawyers in particular as enemies of the state [and] that it treats the human rights movement as a subversive force it aims to annihilate," she said.

There are health concerns for Pu as he suffers from diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Requests for bail have been rejected by the court.

China needs people like Pu to hold the government accountable, but the authorities clearly see him as a threat. We shall see what the verdict is, but it probably won't be what we are hoping for...

Hong Kong's Love of Processed Meat

A typical non-healthy dish in a cha chaan teng always includes panfried spam

There was some surprise today from Hong Kong people reading the news about the World Health Organization saying processed meats are carcinogenic and as dangerous as tobacco and asbestos.

As expected those in the food industry were quick to denounce the findings as "harsh", while others said the study was based on western eating habits, not Asian.

However, look at what a large number of people eat at cha chaan tengs -- panfried spam, sausages, some bacon. Many also eat sandwich meats thinking they're just as good as natural meat. And then there's lap cheong or Chinese sausages...

Some wonder if Chinese sausage is not as healthy as it looks

The study found Hong Kong people eat an average of three-and-half sausages and nearly two slices of ham per week, which is considered to pose a significant cancer risk.

Local demand for processed meats, such as sausages and ham has grown in recent years. Figures show that 23.1 million kg of sausages were imported last year, up 3.9 percent from the previous year, and up 17 percent from the year before that. Some 18 million kg of ham was brought in last year.

That's how WHO came up with an average consumption of 7.9g of sausage, or half a piece, and 6.1g of ham or a quarter slice. This doesn't include other processed meats and red meats

In general Hong Kong people are not knowledgeable about nutrition and think they are eating a balanced diet when they aren't at all. Perusing through supermarkets these days, the vast majority of food for sale are processed one way or another -- in a box.

Many shoppers buy bags and bags of instant noodles, chips, chocolate, and processed meats, and not often fresh meat, vegetables and fruits. I know this because every week when I hit the supermarket, I look at what people are buying and also what's on the shelves and I'm shivering with fear.

Should we be surprised more people in the city are obese, or have high blood pressure or are diabetic?

More markets with fresh vegetables and products are available

The WHO said eating processed meat could lead to bowl cancer, which claims the second most lives in Hong Kong, with lung cancer the number one cancer killer.

Will this report make people change their dietary habits? Probably a small percentage, while the rest will carry on eating processed meats because they don't feel ill from eating them.

But by the same token, vegetarianism or some say "part-time vegetarianism" is starting to gain more interest. There are more vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong, and more plant-based food products are available.

The government should really be stepping up disseminating important information about what people should be eating. Enough with the "rich man's diet" and eating more vegetables and fruits. At least it would be easier on our wallets too...

Hong Kong's Impending Diabetic Explosion

Not all is well in Hong Kong with the high numbers of young diabetic patients

It is frightening to read one in five Hong Kong diabetics is under the age of 40 -- and the number is expected to double by 2030.

A study by Chinese University of Hong Kong has found that diabetes is diagnosed in more younger people, with the median age at 50 now, compared to 57 in 1990.

Dr Andrea Luk On-yan, CUHK's department of medicine and therapeutics describes the results as "alarming".

"More complications arising from the illness are expected as the patients have the disease a decade earlier," Luk said.

CUHK's Institute of Diabetes and Obesity analyzed data of 10,129 patients at Prince of Wales Hospital, where they were diagnosed between 1995 and 2009. Twenty percent of the patients were diagnosed as diabetic before the age of 40.

Other interesting statistics is that 30 percent of the early onset patients were considered to be slim, while 60 percent had a family history of diabetes.

Luk said those who developed diabetes before the age of 40 had a 35 percent greater risk of developing kidney disease, and a 48 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

Last year the Hong Kong government warned that one in 10 Hong Kong people, or about 700,000 people had type 2 diabetes. That's slightly lower than the 12.7 percent prevalence rate in Singapore, but higher than 7.3 for Japan and 6.7 for Taiwan, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.

Luk said if a person's mother or father had diabetes, the risk of contracting the disease tripled. If both parents had diabetes, the risk was six times greater.

She added rapid lifestyle changes, uncontrolled diet and lack of physical exercise resulted in the rise of diabetes.

As diabetes often does not have obvious symptoms, many young and slim people go for years without realizing they have it.

Professor Juliana Chan Chung-ngor of CUHK said this meant sufferers were missing the "golden period" for treatment -- the first five years -- when the risk of complications such as blindness and kidney failure could be reduced.

Chan urged people to get checked regularly, and those who have a family history of diabetes should get checked sooner rather than later.

There are many people in Hong Kong who regularly -- ie everyday -- eat out and most of the time their food choices are not healthy. By the same token many are not exercising at all or enough.

The government needs to really make people more aware of diabetes, the symptoms and that if caught early, it could be controlled or even cured. I find many locals I meet have no understanding of what a good diet is or what makes a healthy lifestyle.

Otherwise the government's going to see massive healthcare bills, and wondering why more wasn't done in terms of preventative medicine.

On the other extreme, a man in Toronto has cut out added sugar in his diet for almost 600 days. Jason Holborn used to add half a cup of sugar into his Frosted Flakes or Cocoa Pebbles cereal every morning, or even add a cup of sugar to a cup of butter and eat them mixed together.

It was only when he decided to advertise to everyone by putting a sign on his window counting the number of days of not eating refined sugar did he really make an effort to quit. He had a few stops and starts, but now at over 574 days, he can't stop now.

Since then he's realized that sugar caused his extreme mood swings, he has lost some weight and now has a six-pack under his shirt and everything tastes sweet now -- even milk.

If only Hong Kong people were more aware of what they were eating -- but with the recent meat scare at McDonald's -- maybe they will now wake up and wonder where their food comes from and start making more smarter and healthier choices.

A healthier lifestyle means less trips to the doctor -- and wouldn't that make you happier?