7 h. ago 12 Hong Kong children hospitalised with flu prompt urgent vaccination calls

Twelve children have been admitted to intensive care with influenza since September, Hong Kong’s health minister has said, urging parents to arrange vaccinations as soon as possible. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau renewed calls for flu vaccination on Wednesday after two more severe paediatric cases were reported on consecutive days, both involving two-year-old children. Lo said the summer flu season begun unusually late, in early September, and warned of a possible overlap between the summer...

Science

7 h. ago Severe flu cases among Hong Kong children prompt urgent vaccination calls

Twelve children have been hospitalised with severe influenza since September, Hong Kong’s health minister has said, urging parents to arrange vaccinations as soon as possible. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau renewed calls for flu vaccination on Wednesday after two more severe paediatric cases were reported on consecutive days, both involving two-year-old children. Lo said the summer flu season has started unusually late, in early September. He warned of a possible overlap between the summer...

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong temperatures fall to 18.4 degrees Celsius, lowest so far this autumn

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong recorded a minimum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the lowest this autumn so far, according to the weather forecaster. The chilly morning was caused by an intense northeast monsoon, while the outer rainbands of Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen continued to bring scattered showers to the coast of Guangdong and the...

Politics

13 h. ago Hong Kong’s CUHK eyes wider use of ‘painless’ liver cancer care after 96% success

Hong Kong liver cancer patient Mr Chan* said his tumour disappeared following a painless ultrasound treatment that felt similar to “taking a nap”. The 68-year-old retiree, who had been battling liver cancer since 2013, was among 26 patients who had received a histotripsy treatment conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong since April this year. “There was no pain at all. It was just like taking a nap,” Chan said. “I could be discharged the next day and lead a normal life afterwards. The...

Politics

26 h. ago Hong Kong eye specialists warn of risks of wearing unregulated contact lenses

Ophthalmology professionals in Hong Kong have cautioned residents about the risks of wearing cosmetic contact lenses sourced from unregulated channels – especially during Halloween – warning of potential visual impairment caused by improper use. The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists on Tuesday also urged authorities to introduce a mandatory registration system to regulate the import, distribution and sale of medical devices, including contact lenses, and reduce the risks...

Events

35 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen gradually moves away after skirting Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen has skirted Hong Kong and will gradually move away from the city on Tuesday, according to the weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also said that the No 3 typhoon signal currently in effect would remain in force at least until 6pm, with the chance of issuing a higher signal being “relatively low” unless Fengshen, which...

Events

35 h. ago Fengshen: hot weather back by weekend as Hong Kong lowers all typhoon signals

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise later this week, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as it cancelled all typhoon signals. The weather forecaster lowered the No 3 signal at 6.20pm on Tuesday as Tropical Cyclone Fengshen, which means “the god of wind” in Chinese, departed. The strong monsoon signal was in force. The Observatory warned that local winds...

Politics

3 d. ago Flu’s spread across Asia prompts Hong Kong groups to join vaccination appeal

Medical organisations and politicians in Hong Kong, Macau and other parts of Asia have issued a joint appeal to take preventive steps against the spread of influenza across the continent, with a local expert calling on residents to get vaccinated early. Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday that influenza was spreading not only in Hong Kong, but in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore. “After the Covid-19...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong TCM hospital to collect data on Chinese, Western medicine interactions

Hong Kong’s first traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital aims to co-develop the world’s first clinical database on interactions between its healing practices and Western treatments to help provide evidence-based therapy guidelines. Dr Cheung Wai-lun, project director of the Health Bureau’s Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, said on Sunday that no such database currently existed and hoped the launch of the institute would help to fill that gap. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong...

Science

3 d. ago Tropical Storm Fengshen: Hong Kong Observatory could issue T3 on Monday evening

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory could issue the No 3 typhoon warning on Monday evening, as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer to the city. The forecaster also said it would issue the strong monsoon signal on Sunday evening as local winds strengthened under the influence of a northeastern monsoon. “With Fengshen edging closer to the coast of Guangdong gradually...

Events

3 d. ago Fengshen: Hong Kong may issue T3 typhoon signal between 5pm and 7pm on Monday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it will consider issuing the No 3 typhoon signal between 5pm and 7pm on Monday, as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer to the city. The forecaster issued the strong monsoon signal at 10.50pm on Sunday as local winds strengthened under the influence of a northeastern monsoon. It said the No 3 typhoon alert would replace the...

Politics

3 d. ago Half of Hong Kong children aged 6 to 10 own smartphones, non

A Hong Kong non-profit group is stepping up a campaign for parents to delay giving their children smartphones until the age of 14, with a survey revealing more than half of youngsters between the ages of 6 and 10 in the city already own one. Look Up Hong Kong released the survey findings on Sunday in support of its push for parents to wait until their children turn 14 before getting them a smartphone and until 16 for granting them access to social media. The results coincide with an ongoing...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong faces ‘relatively severe’ summer flu outbreak, health authorities warn

Hong Kong could face a “relatively severe” summer influenza outbreak this year, health authorities have warned, as the percentage of positive cases has already exceeded the peak of the previous season and flu activity continues to rise. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday evening that at least 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools so far since the start of the school year in September. Among them, 43 cases occurred in kindergartens or childcare centres, 244 were recorded in...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong faces ‘relatively severe’ flu outbreak, health authorities warn

Hong Kong could face a “relatively severe” summer influenza outbreak that already started late this year, health authorities have warned, as the percentage of positive cases has already exceeded the peak of the previous season and flu activity continues to rise. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday evening that at least 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools so far since the start of the academic year in September. Among them, 43 cases occurred in kindergartens or childcare...

Events

5 d. ago Spending on healthcare as proportion of Hong Kong’s GDP grows by 50%

Healthcare expenditure as a proportion of Hong Kong’s gross domestic product grew by nearly 50 per cent over the past decade, driven by the city’s ageing population, new data shows. The domestic health accounts for the 2023-24 financial year, revealed by the Health Bureau on Thursday, detailed the spending trends and levels in both the public and private sectors. Hong Kong spent HK$130 billion of public money on healthcare in those 12 months, or 4.3 per cent of GDP. The amount was a sharp rise...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong’s first TCM hospital: services, prices and what else to expect

Hong Kong’s first hospital dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) will open on December 11, offering a range of services complemented by Western medicine. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, located on Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, is expected to serve 400,000 outpatients annually, while also operating as a research and teaching hub for three local TCM schools. The Post provides a guide for the new hospital’s services, including details of the treatments and fee...

Politics

7 d. ago Hongkongers to feel the breeze next week as temperatures to drop to 22 degrees

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers can expect a cool autumn breeze early next week, as temperatures are set to “appreciably” fall to as low as 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 Fahrenheit), the weather forecaster has said. The Hong Kong Observatory said the mercury was expected to gradually drop from 27 degrees on Sunday to 24 degrees the next day, and then further to 22 degrees two days...

Politics

7 d. ago Potential typhoon in Pacific could enter South China Sea: Hong Kong Observatory

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A potential typhoon forming in the northwestern Pacific could enter the South China Sea, the Hong Kong Observatory has said. The forecaster on Wednesday estimated that an area of low pressure would gradually develop over the seas east of the Philippines in the next couple of days. It was likely to edge closer to the vicinity of Luzon by the weekend, and have...

Politics

8 d. ago How prevalent is postnatal depression in Hong Kong and what support is in place?

An expatriate mother was suspected of drowning her seven-month-old daughter before hanging herself at her luxury home on Shouson Hill Road in the Southern district on Monday. Police investigations found that the deceased woman, 34, had a history of depression and showed signs of relapse after giving birth. The Post examines the state of depression in Hong Kong and the risks of relapse. 1. How prevalent is depression in Hong Kong? According to authorities, around 2.9 per cent of ethnic Chinese...

Politics

8 d. ago How to differentiate the types of flu in Hong Kong and how to protect yourself

The death of a 13-year-old girl from the flu over the weekend after failing to get vaccinated has raised alarm bells over the seriousness of the disease in Hong Kong. Some health experts warned on Tuesday that the existing flu season is expected to continue into November and urged the public to get vaccinated as a preventive measure. The Post looks at the different types of flu circulating in the city, what health experts say and how residents can protect themselves. What is influenza B? How is...

Politics