Get Jabbed for a Chance to Win a Flat

A flat like this could be yours if you get your two vaccinations

Finally the numbers of people signing up to get vaccinations surged to 28,200 today, 10,500 for Sinovac, 17,700 for BioNTech.

The reason?

The chance to win a HK$10.8 million flat, and some other monetary prizes.

Enter the lucky draw to win a flat in Kwun Tong

Yesterday a group of companies: The Sino Group, Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, and Chinese Estate Holdings announced they were sponsoring a lucky draw for a one-bedroom flat measuring 449 sq ft in Kwun Tong. But that's not all -- they will also donate 20 prizes with prepaid or credit card value of HK$100,000 each.

They heeded Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's call for companies to give out financial incentives to get the public to get jabs, as she didn't think it was the government's job to do that.

Huh.  

But at least this announcement worked so far. If there wasn't much of a response then it showed even money wouldn't move Hongkongers to roll up their sleeves and protect themselves and others.

However others still refuse to budge with the same reasons, that they were scared of the side effects, that the vaccines were rushed out too clearly and wanted more proof they were effective, or claimed their doctors advised them against it.

Chan says HK may not order more vaccines

But Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee warned if more people didn't take up the vaccine, then it would be hard for Hong Kong to justify ordering more, considering others places were desperate for vaccines. 

She added when the time came for booster shots, those who hadn't had two shots yet would not be eligible.

Meanwhile the University of Hong Kong infectious disease expert Yuen Kwok-yung believed the fourth wave was over in the city with zero local infections for 28 days, but warned the fifth wave could be coming.

What?!

He said it was tricky to decide on whether to lift social-distancing measures, like limits on the number of people per group, and mandatory mask-wearing in public areas. Yuen said the focus should not be on easing restrictions, but on preparing for the fifth wave.

Yuen has tough suggestions for those not jabbed

However, Yuen recommended some benefits to those who had been vaccinated. For example they should be allowed to stay in restaurants until midnight, while those who haven't had the jab should only be allowed to eat at lunch time in restaurants, and outdoors at other times. 

If a building has a transmission of the virus and requires evacuation, those who are inoculated should be allowed to quarantine at home, while those who are not must do the 21 days in a government quarantine camp. 

And once adolescents are allowed to get the jab, then those should be allowed to be in the classroom, while those who haven't been inoculated must study from home.

Sounds harsh, but definitely an incentive to get the vaccine.

Carrie, any thoughts?

The Politics of Vaccines in Hong Kong

 

Hongkongers keen for vaccine but not Chinese-made ones

 

After last week's announcement that the Hong Kong government had procured 15 million doses of vaccines (two doses per person), but that the first batch of 1 million doses were from Sinovac Biotech and later another 1 million from Pfizer, a lot of residents were not interested in getting the jab following reports that mainland vaccines may not be up to standard.

Sinopharm's vaccine trial in Peru halted

A few days ago there was a story about Sinopharm's vaccine that was undergoing clinical trials in Peru was stopped after a volunteer had difficulty moving their arms.

It's not exactly reassuring to hear about news like that. Apparently these vaccines can't be tested in China because there are not enough positive cases there. Really.

Yesterday Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor blasted Hongkongers who claimed the procurement of mainland-made vaccines was politically motivated, saying Sinovac was chosen following advice from two expert committees of medical professionals.

"Just like all our other anti-epidemic works, there was malicious spreading of rumours, people stigmatizing and politicizing the vaccine procurement, while they quoted unidentified persons with negative comments," she said Tuesday. 

1 million doses of Sinovac vaccine will be in HK

But some residents retorted that if she and other senior government officials were injected with the Sinovac vaccine and they exhibited no serious side effects after two months, then perhaps they too would be willing to be vaccinated.

So while the government has done its best to procure vaccines, trust in the authorities has eroded so much in over a year that Lam and her administration have lost all credibility -- especially at a time like this. Everything has become politicized to the detriment of public health.

One solution? Pay volunteers to take the vaccine.

DAB lawmaker Leung Che-chung suggested at a Legislative Council health services panel that the government pay each volunteer HK$5,000.

"The government is being criticized for giving HK$5,000 to some people who are infected. Those who are infected are awarded. What about those who get vaccinated voluntarily?" he asked.

DAB lawmaker Leung

"If you don't have any initiative to motivate people to receive jabs, it may end up like your universal community testing program in September, when only one million or so people joined. It will be the end of Hong Kong, he said.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government will carry out promotion and educational work to dispel any rumours around the safety of the vaccines.

But really, isn't it most effective way to prove the safety of the vaccines is for these senior government officials to get the jab first and see what happens?

However the government doesn't seem to want to go down that route. 

At the same health services panel, government adviser and respiratory medicine expert David Hui Shu-cheong said he expects the Phase III clinical trial results of the Sinovac vaccine will be out next Wednesday.

In meantime the stalemate continues.

Spate of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Suspends Classes

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Coronavirus Information and Advice

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on our lives and global economy

Today our office organized a medical expert (who previously was a front line doctor during SARS) to speak to us on a webinar about the coronavirus and he had some interesting points I'd like to share.

It is hard to say when the coronavirus pandemic will end, and it is hard to tell who has it when they are asymptomatic, which is why he stresses everyone should wear a face mask and constantly wash their hands. Elevators are where you have a good chance of catching the virus because it is a confined space, so a mask is an absolute must when you are in there.

A new way to greet friends instead of shaking hands

During this period there should be no handshaking or even dining with people at close range because the virus can be passed through droplets in the air. That's why everyone should stay at least one to two metres or six feet away from each other. Restaurants are definitely going to have a hard time staying in business now.

At meetings, everyone should wear a mask, and as a result, no beverages should be served; instead there should be hand sanitizers in the room that everyone uses before and after the meeting.

He said it was not necessary to wear an N95 mask -- let healthcare professionals wear those. If you wear one, you may not wear it properly and also you can only wear it at most two to three hours otherwise you will get dizzy from breathing in your own carbon dioxide. A three-ply surgical mask is fine.

Someone asked if the mother was infected, could she still breastfeed her baby. The doctor replied yes, and that she should clean her hands and wear a mask while breastfeeding.

As for taking toddlers outside, he did not recommend they be taken out too much because they will probably take their mask off at any opportunity, but if you do take them outside, go to a place with open air, like a park.

Deep throat swabs are the most accurate way to test

The virus in the form of droplets can be still active on surfaces for 72 hours -- he says studies did not measure beyond that, though their virulence is much weaker by that point. Nevertheless, he said to keep surfaces clean and again wash your hands frequently.

There is currently no evidence that the virus can become airborne through aerosol outside of a hospital environment so there was no need to worry about this. He said when it comes to offices being sanitized and deep cleaned, ventilation systems don't need to be cleaned per se, just the twice yearly cleaning is fine.

When it comes to home quarantine, he admits it is difficult for the average middle class family to do this effectively as family members are sharing the toilet and food (not at the same time!); the only expensive solution is for the person in quarantine to stay in a hotel for 14 days to ensure that elderly people in the family are not affected.

In Hong Kong, the rapid test, or deep throat swab can be done in public or private clinics, though he believes not many private doctors will do this (they have to suit up in protective gear before doing this) and will suggest patients go to a public clinic. The accuracy is the same as they are all processed in government labs.

The new social distancing at press conferences now?

However, the antibody test where they prick your finger for a drop of blood and test it is not effective and the doctor advises people not to do this.

Someone asked if after 14 days of quarantine one should be re-tested again, and he said it was not necessary.

Why are people re-infected? He says that perhaps they developed antibodies, but then after a certain period of time the antibodies were no longer in the person's immune system and so they were infected again. He does say people can get permanent lung damage from the coronavirus.

The Centre for Health Protection has chosen the quarantine time of 14 days in the hopes that most infected cases will be fine by then; there are some outlier cases where the virus is still present longer than that, but at the same time the health expert said there needs to be a balance of people getting back to work and their family. As long as someone tests negative twice then they are allowed to leave quarantine.

Yes! Walk your dog but wear a mask outside

He didn't go into the psychological impact the virus has on people, but reading stories about the coronavirus all day is terribly depressing and frightening too.

Hopefully now those who thought the virus won't affect them will finally understand that, as the doctor says, everyone is susceptible to it; there are more cases involving elderly people because they have underlying health conditions, but it is also hitting young, healthy people too.

Stay home as much as you can and wear a mask if you go outside. Oh and wash your hands...

Trying to Keep Safe with Coronavirus Threat

The Centre for Health Protection explains how to wash your hands thoroughly

The fears of the coronavirus spreading from people who are asymptomatic are scary because you can have no symptoms and yet carry COVID-19.

And it's that paranoia that can very quickly eat into your psyche.

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have the coronavirus

I checked in on a friend of mine I hadn't talked to in over a week and she feared she was being paranoid after hearing the news that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as the wife of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

But I tried to reassure my friend that as long as she was cautious about her hygiene and washing hands regularly she should be OK.

I had my own freak out earlier this week too. I had stayed up too late on Friday doing a last-minute assignment and then packed in a full day on Saturday and Sunday before feeling wiped out on Monday.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie has the virus

It was made even worse Monday evening by some dishes I ate in a restaurant that claims not to use MSG, but I could feel heart palpitations and woke up around 4am and in trying to get back to sleep my mind started wondering if I had the coronavirus and what would I do. All these scary scenarios came into my head. It took a while fall asleep again.

I stayed home Tuesday to work from home, and actually I felt better psychologically and physically, ready to tackle the rest of the week.

Since just before Chinese New Year when the news of the coronavirus spread to Hong Kong, it's had a psychological impact on all of us. Fears of the virus are hovering over our heads everyday with no end in sight.

Trying to continue with daily life in Hong Kong with masks

Some people refuse to go to the gym to work out, others do but draw the line at going into the sauna and steam rooms, while others continue with their daily workout routines.

It's hard to say who is right, but as long as everyone takes as many precautions as possible, hopefully we can get through this soon, though some experts say the virus may be with us for the entire year!

All we can do is try to keep calm and carry on, with a lot of hand washing in between.

Wuhan Pneumonia Cases Jump

It is believed the Wuhan coronavirus started in this market in Wuhan

The Wuhan coronavirus just jumped exponentially today with the announcement of three people who have died from the pneumonia-like virus, and reports over 130 new cases this past weekend bringing the total to 198 in the Chinese city in Hubei province.

Xi calls on officials to stop the spread of the virus

It is believed the source is from a seafood and animal meat market in Wuhan.  So far the entire country has reported 218 cases.

Today President Xi Jinping has ordered officials to "resolutely contain" the spread of Wuhan pneumonia, and that "the safety of people's lives and health should be given top priority".

 Errr... how come it took Xi this long to say that when the mystery virus was first reported on December 30, and now hundreds of millions of people are traveling on public transport to their hometowns for Spring Festival?

In addition, many Chinese people's knowledge about personal hygiene let alone food hygiene is not up to par with international standards, making it very difficult to try to stop and isolate the cases as quickly as possible since it is now believed many cases were from human-to-human transmission.

Health workers in hazmat suits treating a patient in Wuhan

The virus has also apparently spread to other countries with cases reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Meanwhile Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Nepal and Taiwan are monitoring suspected cases.

According to the Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said today there are 106 people in isolation in Hong Kong with suspected symptoms.

And how is the city trying to stop and isolate the number of cases of possible Wuhan pneumonia?

The Department of Health has announced it will require mainland Chinese travelers from Wuhan to make a health declaration starting from midnight tonight. But strangely, Chan says mainland train passengers will not be asked to make health declarations at the West Kowloon train terminus.

Why does Chan (middle) not implement stronger measures?

Why the discrepancy? Shouldn't all travelers from China be screened? A person from Wuhan may not even know or think they have symptoms of the Wuhan virus. Or even if they do, would they declare it?

This is really pathetic handling by the Hong Kong government on this fast-emerging health issue. Did the authorities not learn from SARS in 2003? This is a matter of life and death, not about appeasing senior Chinese officials by being less lenient on mainlanders coming to the city...

Is This SARS 2.0?

A boy is scanned for his temperature at Hong Kong International Airport

Along with the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, there's another invisible threat at our shores -- a pneumonia-like virus that apparently originated from Wuhan and could possibly spread to where we are, but we don't know if it is or not.

When I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on Sunday, health workers were constantly checking random travelers' temperatures, and quizzing people if they had arrived from Wuhan. So far there have been 38 suspected cases, though 21 patients have been discharged.

Sophia Chan was grilled by lawmakers today for more info

Perhaps more frightening is that the Hong Kong government has barely received any information about the virus from the central government.

Today in the Legislative Council, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee was grilled for two-and-a-half hours about any new information from the mainland. Chan said she hadn't received anything new, which lawmakers found shocking as it has been three days since the last report.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan Suk-chong asked, "Do you have ways to really find out how many cases there are on the mainland at present, in particular Wuhan? Can you obtain the genetic map?"

While the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said on Wednesday night eight people were discharged from the hospital, no other mainland government agencies offered any updates, but would release the results of an investigation of the virus within a week.

A week?

Hong Kong is stepping up vigilance, but what about China?

Do they remember how fast the SARS virus spread? Probably not. Or they have no idea how to contain this virus.

Meanwhile Hong Kong is taking no chances, now making into law that all medical practitioners must report to the authorities of anyone suspected of contracting the unidentified strain. This would empower officials to place patients in mandatory quarantine.

However, more information is needed, as lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan of the Democratic Party was concerned if the virus had spread to other Chinese cities and provinces, and urged the health secretary to find out more information.

Sophia Chan replied that the governments of Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland had signed an agreement in 2005 to notify each other if any major public health incidents were discovered. She also stressed the government had been in close contact with the mainland authorities and the mechanism was working well.

In 2003 a woman takes precautions riding the MTR

She believed the mainland would tell the Hong Kong government if such pneumonia cases were found outside Wuhan, adding she would continue to press the authorities for more information about the virus.

Really? Is that why she is isn't actively asking the mainland for answers? Seems naive on her part to just sit around and wait for information.

Meanwhile, infectious diseases expert Professor Yuen Kwok-yung from the University of Hong Kong believes the unidentified virus that led to the Wuhan outbreak was a coronavirus strain from bats.

This is because the Wuhan cases are not found with bird flu, flu or other known viruses, but that the infections seem to be linked to game meat.

"Bats still carry around a dozen coronavirus strains," Yuen said. "There is a reason for us to speculate that the virus spread from bats to some wile animals, and then jumped to humans.

The HK economy could be battered by the Wuhan outbreak

He adds, "Theoretically, it is also possible for bats to spread the virus to humans directly. But very few people eat bats. However, many people eat masked palm civet and other wild animals."

That could be a possible clue, but in the meantime, it is frightening to not have at least daily updates from the mainland about the Wuhan outbreak and if it is spreading or not.

Is the Chinese government hiding something again at our expense?

And why are the Hong Kong authorities so lax on following up with their Chinese counterparts?

Surely they don't want to have to deal with another SARS-like outbreak like in 2003 that also decimated the economy for several months? This would also add even more economic pain to Hong Kong.

But alas, if the mainland won't cooperate, what hope is there of finding out what's really going on?

Official: Barbecues Worse than Tear Gas

Over 10,000 canisters of tear gas has been fired since early June

The Hong Kong government -- the institution that we pay our tax dollars to govern us -- continues to leave us flabbergasted.

A few weeks ago the Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee claimed there was no evidence to prove claims that tear gas poses a major threat to public health and environmental risks.

Sophia Chan brushes off the toxicity of tear gas

"We have conducted internal studies on whether tear gas will produce dioxin or cyanide," she told the Legislative Council at a Q&A session on November 20. "We found no evidence based on existing research and academic literature that tear gas will generate dioxin."

The police have fired over 10,000 canisters of tear gas which has prompted public health concerns. Those rose sharply after a Stand News journalist who has frequently reported on the front lines, said he had been diagnosed with chloracne, a skin condition that has been linked directly to exposure to dioxin-like substances.

Then Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing trotted out to say the major causes of dioxin globally were hill fires and waste burning in the open air. He suggested that perhaps the source of Hong Kong's air pollution was from the protesters, who threw Molotov cocktails, burned projectiles and set fires to stores and cars.

Law Chi-kwong says barbecues are dangerous than tear gas

And today it's Welfare Secretary Law Chi-kwong's turn to give an explanation. He said tear gas only causes mild respiratory and skin irritation, and that it was the protesters who were burning plastic barriers that were causing dioxins to be released in the air.

"For the dioxins resulting from tear gas, I think it has been found from literature that it is minimal or even non-existent. In fact when compared with dioxins resulting from our barbecue activities, I think the level is indeed very minimal," Law said.

Are we really barbecuing that much? He's really grasping at straws, or in this case skewers.

We actually pay these people really good salaries to say these things to us.

They are obviously the minority in Hong Kong who have yet to experience a "tear gas buffet". They have not felt first hand what it is like to breathe in these noxious chemicals that leave your eyes and throat burning. Some people have such strong reactions to the tear gas that they vomit and have skin irritations.

Over 80 percent of Hongkongers have had a "tear gas buffet"

And in case these officials didn't know, dioxin is a known cancer-causing substance.

So basically the Hong Kong government, and by extension Beijing, is killing us. Slowly.

In 10, 15, or 20 years' time we will have a barrage of cancer cases coming up and many will blame it on the tear gas they were exposed to in 2019.

For the government to shirk responsibility is a crime against humanity.

Police on Mission to Convict

Officers from the bomb disposal unit walk around Poly U campus

   

The Hong Kong Police continues with its agenda of opaqueness and vindictiveness.

Yesterday Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu reported to the Legislative Council that over 5,800 people had been arrested since June, and that 932 of them have been charged with various offenses.

Containers of petrol bombs are rounded up together

Some 2,600 people had been injured during the demonstrations and sent to hospital, including 470 police officers. Meanwhile 19 live rounds were fired in the past six months, hitting three protesters, all of whom have been discharged.

When it comes to tear gas, Lee says about 10,000 rounds of tear gas were fired, the highest number fired in a single day was November 12 when the police fired 2,300 canisters in seven districts, including at Chinese University campus.

There were requests to reveal what chemicals were used by the police for crowd dispersal including the ingredients of pepper spray, the blue dye shot from the water cannon, and tear gas.

However, Lee denied lawmakers' request to know where the police had bought their weapons, saying it would be inappropriate to disclose the information as it "would affect police's operational capability".

Protesters and the public have been exposed to tear gas

The same refrain was repeated today when the new Hong Kong police chief Tang Ping-keung told a news gathering that he could not reveal the ingredients in tear gas as it would reveal too much information. He said the Environmental Protection Department could do its own testing for dioxins in the environment and how it was generated.

This is outrageous for the police chief to claim the chemicals used in tear gas cannot be disclosed. We all know tear gas is toxic, we want to know by how much so that we can better treat people -- over 85 percent of the population.

But no, apparently this is a trade secret.

By the way Tang said the force did not oppose an independent inquiry, but strongly suggested all complaints be filed with the IPCC or Independent Police Complaints Council.

Police chief Tang Ping-keung welcomes independent inquiry

Huh huh. So far, over 1,200 complaints have been filed. So what are the complaints and how have these cases been dealt with so far?

Meanwhile this morning the police along with firefighters, psychologists, police negotiators and paramedics entered Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus to try to find any other protesters left there, but more importantly to collect evidence.

They found petrol bombs, chemicals stolen from laboratories on campus, and the police began not only photographing what they found, but even dusting the items, particularly petrol bombs to try to find out who made them.

This just shows how keen they are to prosecute, leaving little room for any kind of negotiation, which is what is really needed now following the landslide victory of the pro-democracy camp in the District Council elections. The pro-democracy councillors represent the will of the people, which means there are four more demands to be met.

Police dusting petrol bombs for any clues of who made them

With both sides still at odds with each other, the chances of any kind of resolution still remain far apart...

Hong Kong Government Denials

Protesters dealing with non-stop tear gas in an earlier protest

Last week it was Matthew Cheung Kin-chung who left us all flabbergasted with his comment that he didn't understand why people were still angry even though the government had withdrawn the extradition bill.

This week it's Sophia Chan Siu-chee's turn.

Sophia Chan refuses to disclose the chemicals in tear gas

There have been calls since the protests began, asking what exactly is in the tear gas in terms of chemical composition so that the public and healthcare workers know how to treat victims of tear gas.

However, Chan denies there is a harmful effect from tear gas use, and refuses to disclose the chemical composition of the gas for fear it would affect police operations.

So police operations are more important than people's health?

Chan added the police were sourcing "safe and suitable equipment globally according to the established procedures".

Many dead birds have been sighted

She even had the gall to say in the Legislative Council that there was no evidence to suggest the use of tear gas can produce dioxins or cause dioxin poisoning.

"Given the short time of combustion of a tear gas canister, any cyanide produced will be quickly dispersed in the air," the health secretary said.

We know where this government's priorities are.
Then the environment secretary Wong Kam-sing attributes the toxic substances in the air to the burning of shops, and garbage, and Molotov cocktails.

So 10,000 rounds of tear gas don't mean much?

Have Chan and Wong seen the dead birds and squirrels around the city, especially around Hong Kong Polytechnic University these past few days?

These animals didn't commit mass suicide or all ate the same bad apple. 

Again these comments not only show how out of touch Hong Kong's senior officials are, but also how desperate they are to show they are in line with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, or with Beijing.

Wong Kam-sin says pollution is created by the protesters

With their integrity is virtually non-existent these days, perhaps they think they can lie about everything.


Do they seriously think people believe them, regardless of what side they are on?

These elites are really astounding in their tone deafness...

Health Concerns About Tear Gas

What are the health effects from inhaling tear gas after five months in HK?

The Hong Kong government seems to think residents don't need to be concerned about the impact of some 5,000 rounds of tear gas that have been fired after almost five months of protests.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said today that water and air quality in Hong Kong have not been affected by the firing of tear gas.

Health minister Sophia Chan doesn't have any concerns

On a radio show today, Chan said: "According to the air quality index recorded by the Environmental Protection Department, there are no irregularities from June till now," she said, adding the Water Supplies Department reported similar findings.

She added that tear gas had a limited diffusion range, and that there had been directions given to cleaners on handling affected areas.

Her statements contradict what local medical professors wrote in the medical journal The Lancet, where they reported the deployment of tear gas in subtropical environments such as Hong Kong could expose people to high concentrations of chemical irritants over a prolonged period.

The professors also raised concerns about the lack of government-led decontamination and urged the administration to invest in health surveillance and long-term environmental monitoring.

Emily Chan authored a report in The Lancet

In an article published in The Lancet last week, the medical team led by Professor Emily Chan Ying-Yang, of Chinese University, said she was concerned about tear gas deployment in enclosed spaces, such as busy railway stations and near commercial shopping centres, as well as high-density residential areas that sit in the "hot and humid subtropical environment of Hong Kong".

The tear gas used by police contains o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, an irritant that interacts with mucocutaneous sensory nerve receptors, according to the report. Emily Chan said the government should have official guidelines and self-help advice on dealing with the side effects of tear gas.

Citing a published systematic review of 5,910 people exposed to chemical irritants, the team said two had reportedly died, and there were cases of permanent disabilities, including blindness, vegetative state from traumatic brain injury, amputations and loss of limb function, as well as persistent respiratory complaints, among 58 others.

Humidity in subtropical areas could cause tear gas to linger

"However, data on long-term sequelae, carcinogenicity, and environmental consequences in the urban context are scarce," the medical team wrote.

The government doesn't seem to care about the health affects of accumulated tear gas fired on people every week in Hong Kong, nor does it care to keep track of how it impacts residents.

We may not see the effects until a few months or years down the road. By then it will be hard to prove it was tear gas.

Just another sign the government has a hands-off approach to making Hong Kong better.

Perhaps even more ironic is that health minister Sophia Chan also warned people that flu season was around the corner and encouraged people who were unwell to wear masks despite the anti-mask ban in place.

We may not know the long-term effects of tear gas

Just demonstrates how some people don't really have long-term thinking in Hong Kong...

Tonga Prayers for Hongkonger

Tonga playing against Hong Kong in the qualifiers, but Tonga lost

This past weekend was the famous or infamous Rugby Sevens held at Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay.

It's not an event that particularly interests me, hearing the stories of people wearing silly costumes, getting pissed drunk, and the disgusting state of the washrooms.

But there is one story this year that is making the rounds and is a wonderful pledge of support through sport.

Jonathan Mo (left) when he was a high-level rugby player

Hongkonger Jonathan Mo, 23, had ambitions to become a professional rugby player. He was very close to making his dream come true when he finished a three-month trial with the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. But a week later, at the age of 19, he collapsed.

Mo had developed a heart condition and needed a pacemaker. This meant playing high-level rugby was no longer possible. He tried to play at a lower level and coach the Valley Mavericks, but even running a social team was a strain on his health.

A few months ago he was told he would need to undergo risky surgery with only a 40 percent chance of survival.

Then the rugby team from Tonga read about his story and wanted to pray for Mo.

"They didn't even know me, but they were doing all these things for me," he said. "They didn't have to, but they did and that shows their character."

The Tonga team players knelt around Mo and prayed for him

The players and Mo huddled together and they sang. Then they knelt around Mo, placing their hands on him and prayed, asking God to keep him safe during the surgery.

"I nearly cried. I was close to tears," he said.

The next morning they invited him to join them on their bus to the stadium and even parade around the pitch with the team.

"It was a really fresh experience [being with the Tonga team]. For me especially, seeing these boys have got their dream and I got my rugby dream destroyed. But I got a chance to step on the pitch, my home pitch," Mo said. "I can't explain the feeling."

In the end Tonga lost to Hong Kong in the final pool game of the qualifiers, which is too bad for Tonga, but for Mo being with these Pacific Islanders meant the world.

"To do it to a stranger, they never knew me, they never met me, but they do it all just to make me feel like pushing on, not giving in. It's incredible."