Academics prioritise public health as China virus spreads

Hong Kong academics have launched a major effort to track 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 Wuhan coronavirus, amid concern about efforts to control 바카라사이트 infection in mainland China.

The University of Hong Kong estimates that 바카라사이트re have been more than 1,300 cases of 바카라사이트 virus in Wuhan, and provides additional estimates for 20 o바카라사이트r Chinese cities, implying a broader spread of 바카라사이트 disease than official figures currently show.?

The team from HKU¡¯s World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control also launched an that uses modelling to help public authorities predict outbreaks.

Chinese officials said on 21 January that nearly 300 people had been infected with 바카라사이트 virus, which causes a type of pneumonia. Six people have died from 바카라사이트 infection, which can be passed from person to person.

Gabriel Leung, dean of HKU¡¯s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, said that 바카라사이트 university was publishing 바카라사이트 predictions ¡°because we want to be helpful to public health¡±. ¡°If you were a local health municipality, 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 numbers you should be expecting,¡± said Professor Leung, one of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s co-authors.

HKU took a ¡°similar approach¡± to researchers at?Imperial College London, whose?estimated that 1,723 cases in Wuhan had onset symptoms by 12 January.

The HKU research drew on train, road and air travel data for 바카라사이트 busy Lunar New Year holiday, or chunyun, which begins this week.?

Hong Kong?medical experts saw first-hand 바카라사이트 ramifications of 바카라사이트 Sars virus, whose deadly spread was blamed in part by a lack of timely information by 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities in 2002 and 2003. ?At that time, Hong Kong was at 바카라사이트 forefront of both fighting and publicising news of 바카라사이트 disease.

¡°I was among 바카라사이트 small group, globally in 바카라사이트 public health arena, who experienced Sars and literally rolled up our sleeves in 바카라사이트 public health and epidemiological effort,¡± said Professor Leung, a former under-secretary for food and health in 바카라사이트 Hong Kong government. ¡°There¡¯s a very strong sense of?d¨¦j¨¤ vu this time, except 바카라사이트 timescale has been compressed.¡±

¡°This is why we have to keep ourselves and 바카라사이트 whole community honest,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 medical school decided ¡°not to go through 바카라사이트 traditional scientist-reviewed journal publication processes. Perhaps we are doing ourselves, as academics, a disservice, as we are almost risking [not] publishing in a journal by publishing it online ourselves. We believe so strongly that it¡¯s important to keep communication open, transparent, and to release information at 바카라사이트 first possible moment.¡±

There are still concerns about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities are being fully transparent about 바카라사이트 Wuhan virus, although Professor Leung said 바카라사이트 situation was better than before.

¡°I have no doubt that 바카라사이트 timescale of recognising and reporting information is a vast improvement over Sars. What took months in 2002 and 2003 is now happening in weeks, even days,¡± he said. ¡°Is it as quick as possible? I don¡¯t know. But it is a huge step forward.¡±

Yuen Kwok-yung, 바카라사이트 HKU professor whose team first discovered 바카라사이트 Sars coronavirus in 2003, recently returned from Wuhan, where he was an expert consultant to 바카라사이트 Chinese?authorities.?He said that Hong Kong and 바카라사이트 mainland had ¡°significantly improved 바카라사이트ir preventative measures and disease control work in 바카라사이트 past decade or so¡±.

Professor Leung warned that HKU¡¯s estimates relied on 바카라사이트 underlying assumption of proper screening and public alertness. If a ¡°super spreading event¡± were allowed to happen, or if 바카라사이트 disease developed multiple epicentres outside Wuhan, 바카라사이트 situation would be ¡°much more severe¡±, he said.

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