# ent

id: cord-258307-nsdhvc8w
type: ORG
entity:
  1 World Health Organization International Avian Influenza Investigative Team World Health Organization Cumulative


id: cord-258307-nsdhvc8w
type: ORG
entity:
  Toronto World Health Organization Working Group on Prevention of International and Community Transmission of SARS Public


id: cord-016160-ugc7ce21
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H5N1 a tale of two cities 135 As the authors noted Hong Kong and Shanghai are located along the avian migratory route at the Pearl River delta


id: cord-255284-ffh1jl40
type: CHEMICAL
entity:
  cette pathologie En 2 mois une avancée majeure a été réalisée dans la connaissance de cette maladie Il demeure cependant un grand nombre de questions à résoudre Y a t il des porteurs sains


id: cord-021375-lca26xum
type: ORG
entity:
  Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Is There a Link An Epidemic of Absence A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases


id: cord-260503-yq4dtf8n
type: ORG
entity:
  Hygiene Task Force Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Association for Professionals in Infection Control Infectious Diseases Society of America Hospital


id: cord-290352-0pc5eji4
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A virus infected lung epithelial cells the role of the nonstructural NS1 protein in the evasion of the host innate defense


id: cord-309268-sig0h723
type: EVENT
entity:
  Seasonal Influenza Flu Specific Groups People at High Risk ofDeveloping Flu Related Complications Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases Recommendations on Seasonal Influenza Vaccination for the Seasonal


id: cord-309268-sig0h723
type: ORG
entity:
  VENICE II Consortium Department of Health Evaluation of the Publicity of Human Swine Influenza Vaccination Programme Development


id: cord-325722-ixozph19
type: LAW
entity:
  Budget The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People s Republic of China


id: cord-325722-ixozph19
type: ORG
entity:
  Taiwan Principles of Microeconomics South Western Cengage Learning Special Topic Enquiry on Earnings Mobility School of Economics and Finance Social Mobility


id: cord-263941-afxh7rks
type: WORK_OF_ART
entity:
  a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of Hong Kong a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst


id: cord-262545-bs8p50ig
type: ORG
entity:
  the International Classification of Primary Care World Organization of National Colleges Academics and Academic Associations of General Practitioners Family Physicians


id: cord-288219-bwsw9nlr
type: ORG
entity:
  the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee


id: cord-017080-erbftqgh
type: ORG
entity:
  Final Report Planning Department Final Year Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies Students Department of Architecture University of Hong Kong Planning


id: cord-019032-vdiaexbw
type: DNA
entity:
  Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Yunnan Shaanxi Gansu Hebei Henan Shandong Sichuan Xinjiang and Shanxi Roman Catholicism


id: cord-019032-vdiaexbw
type: CELL_LINE
entity:
  Hu Jintao Era New Leaders New Challenges The People s Republic of Amnesia Tiananmen Revisited Chinese Foreign Policy


id: cord-019032-vdiaexbw
type: WORK_OF_ART
entity:
  The Struggle for Survival Social and Political Development in Post Reform China Age of Ambition Chasing Fortune Truth and Faith


id: cord-034317-bhzctz87
type: DISEASE
entity:
  inter dependence between medicines and ethics 2 acquire bioethics knowledge and language 3 recognise vital ethical issues


id: cord-274306-cxvnv8dy
type: CHEMICAL
entity:
  Le virus n avait pas diffusé plus avant dans la population de Hong Kong justement du fait qu il n y avait pas eu de réassortiment avec les souches humaines Mais pourquoi le virus H5N1


id: cord-272526-2fgtjouu
type: FAC
entity:
  Holland Village Building a Competitive Pearl River Delta Region Cooperation Coordination and Planning


id: cord-311026-mpr3xb2a
type: WORK_OF_ART
entity:
  The Government of the Republic of Korea Tackling COVID 19 Health Quarantine and Economic Measures Korean Experience Response to COVID 19


id: cord-330502-exmk6gmu
type: DISEASE
entity:
  chronic diseases hypertension cardiac diseases diabetes respiratory diseases kidney diseases liver diseases


id: cord-020756-d9f5fd7x
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H3N2 viruses isolated worldwide from Fowl plague virus from man Continued circulation in China of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses encoding the hemagglutinin gene


id: cord-297326-n0fpu8s3
type: GPE
entity:
  Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Business Dynamics Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World System


id: cord-342989-9ie8mx4l
type: ORG
entity:
  China Staff Mental Health Self Assessment During the COVID 19 Outbreak East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2020 Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers


id: cord-342989-9ie8mx4l
type: ORG
entity:
  Influenza Other Respir Viruses Health Care Workers Risk Perceptions and Willingness to Report for Work During


id: cord-293403-o1i999hy
type: ORG
entity:
  OECD Forum Taiwan Council of Economic Planning and Development Taiwan Statistical Data Book World Development Indicators


id: cord-350031-2c9x55hx
type: ORG
entity:
  China Using Information and Communication Technologies for Family Communication and Its Association with Family


id: cord-273638-mmlwh87u
type: ORG
entity:
  Kong Police Arrest Protesters for Violating Social Distancing Guidelines Evaluating the Effectiveness of Social Distancing Interventions


id: cord-256163-62cc135r
type: ORG
entity:
  South China Morning Post Newspaper United Nation International Telecommunication Union Report Information Service Department


id: cord-272207-jtvf257r
type: ORG
entity:
  State Trait Anxiety Inventory A Test Manual Test Form Center for Health Protection Hong Kong Government


id: cord-293858-dk4snw9r
type: ORG
entity:
  the Research Fund Secretariat Food and Health Bureau the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region


id: cord-293858-dk4snw9r
type: ORG
entity:
  Hong Kong Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Department of Health of the Australian Government


id: cord-331835-nuhrd92z
type: ORG
entity:
  the Social Welfare Department the Immigration Department the Civil Aid Service the Auxiliary Medical Service


id: cord-331835-nuhrd92z
type: ORG
entity:
  World Health Organization International Health Regulations European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Facts


id: cord-331835-nuhrd92z
type: ORG
entity:
  Administrative Region HKSAR Government Preventing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SARS Guidelines for Hotels Guidelines


id: cord-329124-yetjd5g5
type: PRODUCT
entity:
  Model Client Brief for Small Households Developments Hong Kong Housing Authority Hong Kong Housing Authority


id: cord-326339-46imi33v
type: GGP
entity:
  PS2 β 0 156 95 CI 0 18 to 0 12 p 0 001 WT β 0 21 95 CI 0 16 to 0 31 p 0 001 and ER β 0 16 95 CI 0 14 to 0 2 p 0


id: cord-326339-46imi33v
type: GGP
entity:
  ER β 0 17 95 CI 0 19 to 0 13 p 0 001 The Hong Kong students exhibited significantly higher PT p 0 001 and PS1 scores p 0 001 but a lower PS2 score p 0 05 than their Fujian counterparts The Fujian students had a significantly higher ER score


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DNA
entity:
  Mongolian pandemic isolates 3 gene segments I PB2 2 gene segments II PB1 3 gene segments III PA 9 gene segments IV HA 3 gene segments V NP 4 gene segments VI NA 7 gene segments VII M and 3 gene segments


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DNA
entity:
  CY050844 CY0533648 CY050846 CY050845 CY065987 CY065989 CY065990 CY 065988 CY065991 CY065985 CY065984 CY065986 CY052366 CY053365 CY054546 CY054547 CY055169 CY 055170 CY055171 CY056363 CY055308 CY057191 CY057083 CY065995 CY065997 CY065998 CY065996 CY 065999 CY065993 CY065992 CY065994 CY054548 CY054549 CY073448 All 8 genes


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: PROTEIN
entity:
  TAT 600 nm MUS_TLR4R AGGCCCCAGAGTTTTGTTC T 900 nm MUS_TLR5F CTGGGGACCCAGTATGCTAA 600 nm MUS_TLR5R ACAGCCGAAGTTCCAAGAGA 900 nm MUS_TLR7F GGAGCTCTGTCCTTGAGTGG 900 nm MUS_TLR7R CAAGGCATGTCCTAGGTGGT 600


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: PROTEIN
entity:
  NF kappaB nuclear factor kappaB TNFa tumor necrosis factor alpha TGFb transforming growth factor beta HO 1 heme oxygenase 1


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: PROTEIN
entity:
  Janus kinase signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathways 3 10 11 12 The in vivo experiments presented here showed that NF jB and AP 1 inhibitors


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: GGP
entity:
  Space 7 SVT 5 CF 9 BellKor 10 PF 11 and FWLS 12 Eventually the team BellKor s Pragmatic Chaos won this contest Their methods combines nonlinear probe blending


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  World Health Organization WHO Influenza Collaboration Centers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: WORK_OF_ART
entity:
  Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines For Terrestrial Animals Mammals Birds and Bees An avian influenza virus


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  New Pharmaceutical Substances Moscow Ministry of Public Health Department of Quality Effectiveness and Safety


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  USSR Ministry of Health Planning and Performance of Clinical Study of Medicines Federal Pharmaceutical Substances


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: GPE
entity:
  the Republic of Kazakhstan National Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Kazakhstan Planning and Performance of Clinical Study of Medicines Federal


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology of Ministry of Education Science Sports and Culture of Japan


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: ORG
entity:
  the Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology Japan Takeda Science Foundation Terumo Life Science Foundation


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H1N1 hemagglutinins 5 The recombinant protein was used as the antigen attached through histidine


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H1N1 2009 Specificity and clinical sensitivity of the two one step RT PCRs Fast Set InfA InfB


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H3N2 vaccinations 76 of which were given to adults over 55 years of age Consequently vaccine administration


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  H5N1 infected primary human macrophages and that it played a regulatory role in the H5N1hyperinduced host pro inflammatory responses 1


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A viral genotypes system 13 The work presented here is one of the first steps towards the development of a nomenclature system for influenza A virus lineages


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H1N1 pandemic 2009 positive by real time PCR Detection of influenza virus in respiratory samples was much lower with the ResPlex II


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A virus NS1 protein A NS1 Figure 2A The splicing of influenza A virus M gene specific mRNA was also increased by co expression with C NS1 though it was inhibited by co expression with A NS1 Figure 2B


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H3N2 viruses isolated worldwide from 1994 to 2005 a cause for concern Surveillance of resistance to adamantanes


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H1N1 virus in the United States Isolation of oseltamivirresistant influenza A H1N1 virus of different origins


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H1N1 virus and its age specificity in Japan The transmissibility and control of pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus Effect of clinical and virological parameters on the level of neutralizing antibody against pandemic influenza A virus H1N1


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
type: DISEASE
entity:
  influenza A H5N1 viruses in primary human alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells Differential onset of apoptosis


# bib

id: cord-000266-xwfptmmv
author: Liao, Qiuyan
date: 2010-10-12
txt: ./txt/cord-000266-xwfptmmv.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-000266-xwfptmmv.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953514/
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013350
summary:
  METHODOLOGY: Data from cross-sectional telephone interviews of 1,001 Hong Kong adults in June, 2009 were tested against theory and data-derived hypothesized associations between trust in (formal/informal) information, understanding, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and worry, and hand hygiene and social distancing using Structural Equation Modelling with multigroup comparisons. We report on a theoretical model that incorporated elements of influenza causal knowledge, perceived self-efficacy and also social and affective influences ( Figure 1 ) because these latter variables have been less frequently studied in combination, but have theoretical and logical support for their potential importance in the context of RIDs. We tested this model against data collected in the early phase of the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic (Table S1 ) to examine how levels of trust in formal and informal sources of risk/prevention information associated with hand washing and social distancing.

title:
  Situational Awareness and Health Protective Responses to Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Whether information sources influence health protective behaviours during influenza pandemics or other emerging infectious disease epidemics is uncertain. METHODOLOGY: Data from cross-sectional telephone interviews of 1,001 Hong Kong adults in June, 2009 were tested against theory and data-derived hypothesized associations between trust in (formal/informal) information, understanding, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and worry, and hand hygiene and social distancing using Structural Equation Modelling with multigroup comparisons. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Trust in formal (government/media) information about influenza was associated with greater reported understanding of A/H1N1 cause (β = 0.36) and A/H1N1 prevention self-efficacy (β = 0.25), which in turn were associated with more hand hygiene (β = 0.19 and β = 0.23, respectively). Trust in informal (interpersonal) information was negatively associated with perceived personal A/H1N1 susceptibility (β = −0.21), which was negatively associated with perceived self-efficacy (β = −0.42) but positively associated with influenza worry (β = 0.44). Trust in informal information was positively associated with influenza worry (β = 0.16) which was in turn associated with greater social distancing (β = 0.36). Multigroup comparisons showed gender differences regarding paths from trust in formal information to understanding of A/H1N1 cause, trust in informal information to understanding of A/H1N1 cause, and understanding of A/H1N1 cause to perceived self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Trust in government/media information was more strongly associated with greater self-efficacy and handwashing, whereas trust in informal information was strongly associated with perceived health threat and avoidance behaviour. Risk communication should consider the effect of gender differences.


id: cord-000279-pdjsy9a0
title: Network Analysis of Global Influenza Spread
author: Chan, Joseph
date: 2010-11-18
txt: ./txt/cord-000279-pdjsy9a0.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-000279-pdjsy9a0.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2987833/
doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001005
summary:
  Network analysis suggested China and Hong Kong as the origins of new seasonal H3N2 strains and the United States as a region where increased vaccination would maximally disrupt global spread of the virus. As a second strategy for eliminating bias, we determined statistical significance of inter-cluster seeding events by modeling transmission as a binomial distribution with prior probabilities based on the proportion of sequences isolated before a given time point. Here, we show that it is possible to counter this data bias through probabilistic modeling and represent the global viral spread as a network of seeding events between different regions of the world. As can be seen with the world map plots ( Figure 4A,B) , a natural representation of the global influenza network is a directed graph with each node representing a clustered region (climate, continent, and country) and each edge representing a seeding event with a weight equal to the number of significant seeding seasons.

abstract:
  Although vaccines pose the best means of preventing influenza infection, strain selection and optimal implementation remain difficult due to antigenic drift and a lack of understanding global spread. Detecting viral movement by sequence analysis is complicated by skewed geographic and seasonal distributions in viral isolates. We propose a probabilistic method that accounts for sampling bias through spatiotemporal clustering and modeling regional and seasonal transmission as a binomial process. Analysis of H3N2 not only confirmed East-Southeast Asia as a source of new seasonal variants, but also increased the resolution of observed transmission to a country level. H1N1 data revealed similar viral spread from the tropics. Network analysis suggested China and Hong Kong as the origins of new seasonal H3N2 strains and the United States as a region where increased vaccination would maximally disrupt global spread of the virus. These techniques provide a promising methodology for the analysis of any seasonal virus, as well as for the continued surveillance of influenza.


id: cord-000326-a18rch1f
title: Apolipoprotein M Gene (APOM) Polymorphism Modifies Metabolic and Disease Traits in Type 2 Diabetes
author: Zhou, Jun-Wei
date: 2011-02-24
txt: ./txt/cord-000326-a18rch1f.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-000326-a18rch1f.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3044746/
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017324
summary:
  This study aimed at substantiating the associations of the apolipoproein M gene (APOM) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as well as with metabolic traits in Hong Kong Chinese. Several additional lines of evidence also indicated the possible involvement of APOM in the development of diabetes and metabolic disturbances: 1) the human APOM gene is located within a high susceptibility region (6q21-q23) to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in genome-wide linkage analyses [6] . 2) SNP rs805296 (T-778C) in APOM promoter has been associated with the levels of plasma total cholesterol (TC) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in non-diabetic participants, 3) SNP rs805296 has also been associated with the susceptibility to T2D and coronary artery disease among the Northern Chinese [7, 8] . While our results did not support an association between APOM and T2D susceptibility in Hong Kong Chinese, subgroup analyses found SNP as well as haplotype associations between APOM and metabolic traits in T2D.

abstract:
  This study aimed at substantiating the associations of the apolipoproein M gene (APOM) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as well as with metabolic traits in Hong Kong Chinese. In addition, APOM gene function was further characterized to elucidate its activity in cholesterol metabolism. Seventeen APOM SNPs documented in the NCBI database were genotyped. Five SNPs were confirmed in our study cohort of 1234 T2D and 606 control participants. Three of the five SNPs rs707921(C+1871A), rs707922(G+1837T) and rs805264(G+203A) were in linkage disequilibrium (LD). We chose rs707922 to tag this LD region for down stream association analyses and characterized the function of this SNP at molecular level. No association between APOM and T2D susceptibility was detected in our Hong Kong Chinese cohort. Interestingly, the C allele of rs805297 was significantly associated with T2D duration of longer than 10 years (OR = 1.245, p = 0.015). The rs707922 TT genotype was significantly associated with elevated plasma total- and LDL- cholesterol levels (p = 0.006 and p = 0.009, respectively) in T2D patients. Molecular analyses of rs707922 lead to the discoveries of a novel transcript APOM5 as well as the cryptic nature of exon 5 of the gene. Ectopic expression of APOM5 transcript confirmed rs707922 allele-dependent activity of the transcript in modifying cholesterol homeostasis in vitro. In conclusion, the results here did not support APOM as a T2D susceptibility gene in Hong Kong Chinese. However, in T2D patients, a subset of APOM SNPs was associated with disease duration and metabolic traits. Further molecular analysis proved the functional activity of rs707922 in APOM expression and in regulation of cellular cholesterol content.


id: cord-000336-57es391o
author: Liao, Qiuyan
date: 2011-03-11
txt: ./txt/cord-000336-57es391o.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-000336-57es391o.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3055876/
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017713
summary:
  Greater perceived vaccine benefits (β = 0.15), less concerns regarding vaccine side-effects (β = −0.20), greater adherence to social norms of vaccination (β = 0.39), anticipated higher regret if not vaccinated (β = 0.47), perceived higher self-efficacy for vaccination (β = 0.12) and history of seasonal influenza vaccination (β = 0.12) were associated with higher intention to receive the pH1N1 vaccine, which in turn predicted self-reported vaccination uptake (β = 0.30). The model proposed that attitudes towards vaccination (perceived benefits of pH1N1 vaccination and concerns regarding possible adverse effects of pH1N1 vaccination), perceived social pressures from significant others and other people around regarding pH1N1 vaccination (social norms regarding pH1N1 vaccination), perceived self-efficacy in taking vaccination (perceived self-efficacy), anticipated regret for not taking the pH1N1 vaccination (anticipated regret) and seasonal influenza vaccination history would predict vaccination intention, which in turn predicts vaccination planning and future vaccination uptake; anticipated regret and perceived self-efficacy could also predict vaccination status directly; finally, vaccination planning was proposed to bridge the intention-behavior gap and predict vaccination status directly ( Figure 3 ).

title:
  Factors Affecting Intention to Receive and Self-Reported Receipt of 2009 Pandemic (H1N1) Vaccine in Hong Kong: A Longitudinal Study

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Vaccination was a core component for mitigating the 2009 influenza pandemic (pH1N1). However, a vaccination program's efficacy largely depends on population compliance. We examined general population decision-making for pH1N1 vaccination using a modified Theory of Planned Behaviour (TBP). METHODOLOGY: We conducted a longitudinal study, collecting data before and after the introduction of pH1N1 vaccine in Hong Kong. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested if a modified TPB had explanatory utility for vaccine uptake among adults. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Among 896 subjects who completed both the baseline and the follow-up surveys, 7% (67/896) reported being “likely/very likely/certain” to be vaccinated (intent) but two months later only 0.8% (7/896) reported having received pH1N1 vaccination. Perception of low risk from pH1N1 (60%) and concerns regarding adverse effects of the vaccine (37%) were primary justifications for avoiding pH1N1 vaccination. Greater perceived vaccine benefits (β = 0.15), less concerns regarding vaccine side-effects (β = −0.20), greater adherence to social norms of vaccination (β = 0.39), anticipated higher regret if not vaccinated (β = 0.47), perceived higher self-efficacy for vaccination (β = 0.12) and history of seasonal influenza vaccination (β = 0.12) were associated with higher intention to receive the pH1N1 vaccine, which in turn predicted self-reported vaccination uptake (β = 0.30). Social norm (β = 0.70), anticipated regret (β = 0.19) and vaccination intention (β = 0.31) were positively associated with, and accounted for 70% of variance in vaccination planning, which, in turn subsequently predicted self-reported vaccination uptake (β = 0.36) accounting for 36% of variance in reported vaccination behaviour. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Perceived low risk from pH1N1 and perceived high risk from pH1N1 vaccine inhibited pH1N1 vaccine uptake. Both the TPB and the additional components contributed to intended vaccination uptake but social norms and anticipated regret predominantly associated with vaccination intention and planning. Vaccination planning is a more significant proximal determinant of uptake of pH1N1 vaccine than is intention. Intention alone is an unreliable predictor of future vaccine uptake.


id: cord-000617-8m7spnxj
title: Knowledge of Avian Influenza (H5N1) among Poultry Workers, Hong Kong, China
author: Kim, Jean H.
date: 2011-12-17
txt: ./txt/cord-000617-8m7spnxj.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-000617-8m7spnxj.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3311183/
doi: 10.3201/eid1712.110321
summary:
  In 2009, a cross-sectional survey of 360 poultry workers in Hong Kong, China, showed that workers had inadequate levels of avian influenza (H5N1) risk knowledge, preventive behavior, and outbreak preparedness. In 2009, a cross-sectional survey of 360 poultry workers in Hong Kong, China, showed that workers had inadequate levels of avian infl uenza (H5N1) risk knowledge, preventive behavior, and outbreak preparedness. As one of the world''s most densely populated regions (16,000 persons/mile 2 [>6,300 persons/km 2 ]) (2), Hong Kong is a city at high risk for a large-scale outbreak of avian infl uenza caused by live poultry in large-volume wholesale markets and within neighborhood wet markets (open food stall markets). Similar to other regions (8) (9) (10) (11) , poultry workers in Hong Kong showed low risk perceptions for avian infl uenza, inadequate knowledge, and a wide range of compliance with preventive measures.

abstract:
  In 2009, a cross-sectional survey of 360 poultry workers in Hong Kong, China, showed that workers had inadequate levels of avian influenza (H5N1) risk knowledge, preventive behavior, and outbreak preparedness. The main barriers to preventive practices were low perceived benefits and interference with work. Poultry workers require occupation-specific health promotion.


id: cord-001521-l36f1gp7
title: Oral and Poster Manuscripts
author: nan
date: 2011-04-08
txt: ./txt/cord-001521-l36f1gp7.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-001521-l36f1gp7.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4313891/
doi: 10.1111/j.1750-2659.2011.00209.x
abstract: nan
summary:
  The IC 50 values determined in functional NI assays provide valuable information for detection of resistant viruses, but should not be used to draw direct correlations with drug concentrations needed to inhibit virus replication in the infected human host, as clinical data to support such inferences are inadequate. • Standardized reagents and protocols • Choice of detection technology • Simple instrumentation requirements • High sensitivity for use with low virus concentrations • Compatibility with batch-mode processing and largescale assay throughput • Broad specificity of influenza detection • Flexibility in assay format • Additional NA assay applications -cell-based viral assays, screening for new NIs, detection of NA from other organisms Functional neuraminidase inhibition assays enable detection of any resistance mutation and are extremely important in conjunction with sequence-based screening assays for global monitoring of virus isolates for NI resistance mutations, including known and new mutations. Such new assays need to include methods to measure local antibodies and virus-specific lymphocytes, especially in the case of live attenuated influenza vaccines, because of their potential to induce such broad-based immune responses.


id: cord-007423-1mchg5yg
author: Zhao, Shi
date: 2020-03-09
txt: ./txt/cord-007423-1mchg5yg.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-007423-1mchg5yg.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7113032/
doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.64
abstract: nan
summary:
  title: COVID-19 and gender-specific difference: Analysis of public surveillance data in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, from January 10 to February 15, 2020 We examined the publicly available materials and collected the records of COVID-19 transmission events in 2 neighboring large cities, Hong Kong 4 and Shenzhen, 5 in south China from January 10 to February 15, 2020, and we extracted the serial interval data. All data used in this work were publicly available from press releases from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of Hong Kong 4 and the COVID-19 outbreak situation reports of the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, 5 and the key R code is provided as a supplementary file online. Model 1 is a log-linear form for the percentage change, E[ln(SI i, the serial interval of the ith primary case whose onset date is the tth day. Estimating the serial interval of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A statistical analysis using the public data in Hong Kong from

title:
  COVID-19 and gender-specific difference: Analysis of public surveillance data in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, from January 10 to February 15, 2020


id: cord-016160-ugc7ce21
title: Bird Flu, SARS and Beyond
author: Ching, Frank
date: 2018-03-15
txt: ./txt/cord-016160-ugc7ce21.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-016160-ugc7ce21.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7120366/
doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-6316-9_14
summary:
  At the end of 2002, unknown to anyone in Hong Kong, another deadly virus was circulating in neighboring Guangdong Province, propagating a disease that had no name but which was preliminarily dubbed atypical pneumonia in China and later renamed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, by the World Health Organization. And now it''s been identified by all the other laboratories." 76 Also, just as Hong Kong University publicized its breakthrough before the CDC''s announcement, so the university was able to get its scientific discovery into print first, with the publication of a paper in the online Lancet on April 8, 2003, "Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome." The success was very much the result of a group effort, as the list of authors shows, with Malik Peiris as the lead writer, K.Y. Yuen as the last writer and others, including Guan Yi, Leo Poon, John Nicholls and K.H. Chan, in between.

abstract:
  In the politically sensitive year of 1997, Hong Kong experienced an outbreak of avian flu when the deadly H5N1 virus unprecedentedly jumped the species barrier from chickens and infected human beings. Hong Kong decided to slaughter over a million chickens, and the virus was stopped in its tracks. In 2003, Hong Kong was the epicenter of the SARS pandemic, which originated in Guangdong province. The Faculty of Medicine played key roles in both instances, with its Microbiology Department successfully identifying a novel coronavirus as being responsible for SARS. Hong Kong learned from its experience and took action to combat the emergence of new infectious diseases. Such vigilance paid off in 2009, when swine flu swept the world, and in 2013, when a novel avian flu H7N9 emerged in China.


id: cord-016551-5vwgg8e6
title: Construction and Building Applications
author: Anis, Mohab
date: 2016-12-09
txt: ./txt/cord-016551-5vwgg8e6.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-016551-5vwgg8e6.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7120882/
doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-44863-3_2
summary:
  This chapter shows how nanotechnology-based building materials are playing an important role in green architectural design and construction, which has become a growing trend in many countries. This leads to nanotechnology being rapidly adopted by the construction market in several aspects like coatings, insulation materials, and building materials (steel, cement, asphalt, glass, polymers, etc.). Nanomaterials are currently employed in cements, steel, and even windows to render buildings greener, more cost effective and safer. Another application of nanotechnology in the market involves making Ultra Violet (UV) absorbing, self-cleaning, and depolluting coatings for windows. Although Bioni antimicrobial paints in hospitals are 25 % more cost effective because they decreased the frequent use of biocides, they are more expensive in residential buildings. The growing regulations on the building sector to save energy drive the growth for solar control window films, which is forecast to be an 863 million dollars market by 2018.

abstract:
  The construction industry is a particularly attractive industry for nanotechnology applications. Since it employs a diversity of building materials, nanomaterials can be employed to enhance the materials’ performances, durability, longevity and sustainability. The construction and building practice is detrimental to the environment in various aspects such as electricity consumption, landfill accumulation, unhealthy aesthetics and neighborhoods. This chapter shows how nanotechnology-based building materials are playing an important role in green architectural design and construction, which has become a growing trend in many countries. Nanomaterials could be integrated with cement, concrete, or windows to conserve energy, minimize electricity bills and sanitize the surrounding atmosphere. Nevertheless, the industry is still facing many hurdles towards the wide application of nanomaterials in a cost effective manner.


id: cord-017080-erbftqgh
title: Physical Environment of Tall Residential Buildings: The Case of Hong Kong
author: Lau, Stephen S.Y.
date: 2010-12-12
txt: ./txt/cord-017080-erbftqgh.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-017080-erbftqgh.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7121554/
doi: 10.1007/978-90-481-9738-5_3
summary:
  Recent study identifies the following urban design issues as a means to a better quality and comfortable urban environment: lack of breezeways air paths; tall and bulky buildings closely packed causing undesirable wind breaks to urban fabric; uniform building heights resulting in wind skimming over the top of buildings and not being re-routed into the fabric; tight narrow streets not aligned with prevailing wind with tall buildings resulting in urban canyons; lack of urban permeability-with few open spaces, minimal gaps between buildings, excessive podium structures reducing air volumes at ground levels; large building blocks forming wind barriers; projections from buildings and obstructions on narrow streets and general lack of soft landscaping, shading and greenery as contributing to poor air ventilation and environmental quality in high-rise, compact built areas (Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005; Hong Kong Planning Department, 2006b) .

abstract:
  Increasing urban populations, scarcity of urban land, depletion in resources and severe impact of urban development on sustainability are critical contemporary issues. Such issues have vast implications on the desirability of compact, high-rise high-dense built forms. Yet, the environmental quality and social acceptance of these forms remain barely studied. This chapter reviews some of the critical environmental implications posed by the closely packed high-rise building and high urban densities.


id: cord-017995-azqjvxtu
title: Spatial Components in Disease Modelling
author: Kwong, Kim-hung
date: 2010
txt: ./txt/cord-017995-azqjvxtu.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-017995-azqjvxtu.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7122710/
doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-12156-2_30
summary:
  Modelling of infectious diseases could help gain further understanding of their diffusion processes that provide knowledge on the detection of epidemics and decision making for future infection control measures. This research made an attempt to map different phases of the spatial diffusion of SARS in Hong Kong to identify the underlying spatial factors attributing to its transmission patterns. Socio-economic factors found statistically significant against SARS incidence included the following: c) percentage of population aged over 65, g) average number of rooms per household, and h) net residential density ( Table 1 ). Certain socio-economic factors (i.e., average number of rooms per household, percentage of elderly population, and net residential density) were found to correlate positively with the occurrence of SARS in Hong Kong, indicating their potential influence in the disease transmission. This research mapped different development phases of the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong and employed the Pearson''s correlation to isolate environmental factors and socio-economic factors of significant pertinence to the disease.

abstract:
  Modelling of infectious diseases could help gain further understanding of their diffusion processes that provide knowledge on the detection of epidemics and decision making for future infection control measures. Conventional disease transmission models are inadequate in considering the diverse nature of a society and its location-specific factors. A new approach incorporating stochastic and spatial factors is necessary to better reflect the situation. However, research on risk factors in disease diffusion is limited in numbers. This paper mapped the different phases of spatial diffusion of SARS in Hong Kong to explore the underlying spatial factors that may have interfered and contributed to the transmission patterns of SARS. Results of the current study provide important bases to inform relevant environmental attributes that could potentially improve the spatial modelling of an infectious disease.


id: cord-020769-elzkwyz0
title: The new normal: lessons learned from SARS for corporations operating in emerging markets
author: Day, Brennan
date: 2004-07-01
txt: ./txt/cord-020769-elzkwyz0.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-020769-elzkwyz0.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7147509/
doi: 10.1108/00251740410542357
summary:
  This paper uses the recent SARS epidemic as a background to highlight the importance of crisis planning, particularly in emerging economies, and suggests how organizations can address these concerns. This paper will start by presenting background information on the SARS epidemic and the impact on organizations, especially those operating in emerging markets. Since emerging markets are increasingly important to the world economy and are at the same time susceptible to outbreaks of infectious diseases, we need to understand how we are linked together on an interdependent global level. If just three of the Asian emerging economies -China, India, and Indonesia -are able to maintain this growth rate of 6 percent per year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated that by 2010 approximately 700 million people in those countries will have an average income equivalent to that of Spain today.

abstract:
  The modern industrialized world was completely caught off guard by the recent SARS outbreak. Fortunately, for most organizations, the impact has been short lived, but management has been provided with a reminder of the impact of the external environment in a world of ever increasing globalization. As seen with the SARS outbreak, a lack of preparedness can have devastating effects on business and warrant inclusion in a business definition of a crisis. This paper uses the recent SARS epidemic as a background to highlight the importance of crisis planning, particularly in emerging economies, and suggests how organizations can address these concerns.


id: cord-021375-lca26xum
title: Riding the Shi: From Infection Barriers to the Microbial City
author: Voelkner, Nadine
date: 2019-08-23
txt: ./txt/cord-021375-lca26xum.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-021375-lca26xum.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7149467/
doi: 10.1093/ips/olz016
summary:
  Taking its cue from the currently accepted germ theory of disease, such mechanisms render a global city like Hong Kong not only pervasively "on alert" and under threat of unpredictable and pathogenic viruses and other microbes, it also gives rise to a hygiene and antimicrobial politics that is never entirely able to control pathogenic circulation. Considering recent advances in gene sequencing in microbiology, through which a "vast diversity of microbial life in, on and around the human body" (Lorimer 2017, 544) has been identified as residing in complex relationality with one another, how befitting is it to fight infectious diseases by indiscriminately eliminating microbes through the use of antimicrobials and practicing urban hygiene as in the case of Hong Kong? Various scholars have noted how, much like Hong Kong in the face of SARS, global public health programs adopt an antimicrobial stance to the control and/or elimination of infectious diseases, however, which might prove to be counterproductive in securing human life (Macphail 2014; Methot and Alizon 2014; Fishel 2015 Fishel , 2017 White 2015; Hinchliffe et al.

abstract:
  How can a microbial approach to global health security protect life? Contemporary infection control mechanisms set the human and the pathogenic microbe against each other, as the victim versus the menace. This biomedical polarization persistently runs through the contemporary dominant mode of thinking about public health and infectious disease governance. Taking its cue from the currently accepted germ theory of disease, such mechanisms render a global city like Hong Kong not only pervasively “on alert” and under threat of unpredictable and pathogenic viruses and other microbes, it also gives rise to a hygiene and antimicrobial politics that is never entirely able to control pathogenic circulation. The article draws on recent advances in medical microbiology, which depart from germ theory, to invoke an ecological understanding of the human-microbe relation. Here, while a small number of viruses are pathogenic, the majority are benign; some are even essential to human life. Disease is not just the outcome of a pathogenic microbe infecting a human host but emerges from socioeconomic relations, which exacerbate human-animal-microbial interactions. In a final step, the article draws on Daoist thought to reflect on the ways that such a microbial understanding translates into life and city dwelling.


id: cord-022158-32pe8ou0
title: Empirical Morphological Model to Evaluate Urban Wind Permeability in High-Density Cities
author: Yuan, Chao
date: 2018-01-16
txt: ./txt/cord-022158-32pe8ou0.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-022158-32pe8ou0.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7153448/
doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5451-8_2
summary:
  In this chapter, a high-resolution frontal area density (FAD) map that evaluates urban permeability was produced using an empirical model, which takes into account the heterogeneous urban morphology and local wind availability. This study first correlates the pedestrian-level wind environment with λ f calculated at the podium layer, and then establishes an understanding of surface roughness and urban morphology based on ground coverage ratio (GCR), a term familiar to urban planners, with λ f to simplify the practical application of the understanding for professional use. Furthermore, compared with the traditional method of calculating frontal area density, the new method can alleviate the underestimation of mapping urban surface roughness in high-density cities with large and closely packed buildings. As shown in Fig. 2 .13a, the map of the frontal area density (0-15 m) depicts the local wind permeability at the podium layer in the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island.

abstract:
  In this chapter, a high-resolution frontal area density (FAD) map that evaluates urban permeability was produced using an empirical model, which takes into account the heterogeneous urban morphology and local wind availability. Using the MM5/CALMET model, the wind data of Hong Kong was simulated, the FAD map of three urban zones were calculated: podium (0–15 m), building (15–60 m), and urban canopy (0–60 m). Wind tunnel test data was used to correlate the FAD understanding of the three zones with pedestrian-level wind environment. Linear regression analysis indicated that a lower urban podium zone yielded the best correlation with the experimental data, and 200 × 200 m was the reasonable resolution for the FAD map. This study further established that the simpler two-dimensional ground coverage ratio (GCR) that is readily available in the planning circle can be used to predict the area’s average pedestrian-level urban ventilation performance of the city. Working with their in-house GIS team using available data, the GCR will provide the planners a way to understand the urban ventilation of the city for decisions related to air paths, urban permeability, and site porosity.


id: cord-023473-ofwdzu5t
title: Managing threats in the global era: The impact and response to SARS
author: Tan, Wei‐Jiat
date: 2006-06-26
txt: ./txt/cord-023473-ofwdzu5t.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-023473-ofwdzu5t.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7169807/
doi: 10.1002/tie.20107
summary:
  As a result of its impact, SARS quickly established itself as a new kind of global uncertainty and posed challenges for traditional methods of risk management. As a result of its impact, SARS quickly established itself as a new kind of global uncertainty and posed challenges for traditional methods of risk management. This article examines the impact that SARS has had through means of a case study and builds on this to provide recommendations for how uncertainty may be managed in an increasingly globalized world. At the same time, we have witnessed the emergence of a new type of environmental business threat that has manifested itself in incidents such as global terrorism, SARS, financial crises, and computer viruses, all of which have the ability to disrupt a firm''s operations. With regard to SARS, the key strategic responses are likely to occur in the areas of supply-chain management, diversification, scenario planning, and ensuring business continuity.

abstract:
  In early 2003, the SARS virus brought disruption of public and business activities in many areas of the world, particularly Asia. As a result of its impact, SARS quickly established itself as a new kind of global uncertainty and posed challenges for traditional methods of risk management. This article examines the impact that SARS has had through means of a case study and builds on this to provide recommendations for how uncertainty may be managed in an increasingly globalized world. Reconsideration of strategic and risk‐management approaches have become necessary. Supply‐chain management and corporate strategy require a fundamental rethink to balance the pursuit of efficiency with increased responsiveness and flexibility. Unpredictability and turbulence in the international business environment suggest that traditional planning approaches that assume linear growth may give way to more scenario‐based planning. This will encourage firms to contemplate a variety of possible futures and better prepare them for unanticipated events. Similarly, contingent‐based continuity plans help businesses continue running even during a crisis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


id: cord-029338-r8vf6pqt
author: Chun, Jack
date: 2020-04-29
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7363830/
doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-5266-3_4
title:
  A Rawlsian Model of Land Justice for Hong Kong: The Controversy on the Development of the North New Territories

abstract:
  I adopt a Rawlsian model in analysing the challenge recently faced by the Hong Kong government regarding its governance of the land development. The challenge is illustrated with the stakeholders’ debates on three case studies: the brownfield sites, Fanling Golf Course and the private agricultural land reserve. The Rawlsian model adopted here aims to unfold the dialectics of the land controversy and identify the Rawlsian solution. For this purpose, expounded are certain important Rawlsian concepts, including the distinction between rationality and reasonableness. In conclusion, I argue that, while an immediate political reconciliation seems unlikely, the possibility of such a reconciliation is open in the long run if one grasps the crux of the stakeholders’ dialectics and recognizes the intricate interconnection of the overlapping consensus in the constitutional and institutional levels on the political conception of justice.


id: cord-034317-bhzctz87
title: Evolution of bioethics education in the medical programme: a tale of two medical schools
author: Ngan, Olivia Miu Yung
date: 2020-10-27
txt: ./txt/cord-034317-bhzctz87.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-034317-bhzctz87.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7590560/
doi: 10.1007/s40889-020-00112-0
summary:
  This paper provides a cross-sectional analysis, describing institutional experiences in developing bioethics curriculum at two medical schools in Malaysia and Hong Kong. The medical programmes of the two institutions are distinctive in terms curriculum framework, teaching approach, and topic selection, and common challenges include implementation of bioethics courses, students'' resistance to bioethics, and limited teaching capacity, emerged as they evolve. Nonetheless, many teachers who are involved in bioethics curriculum in medical programmes were either philosophers, ethicists, or scientists with limited experience in medicine, or clinicians with inadequate formal training in ethics (Ekmekci 2016; Sim et al. The topic-oriented approach in the pre-clinical year entails a teaching goal to (1) observe inter-dependence between medicines and ethics, (2) acquire bioethics knowledge and language, (3) recognise vital ethical issues in medical practice, and (4) apply reasoning skills when present in a dilemma.

abstract:
  Bioethics Education in the Anglo-European context developed since 1970 and was incorporated into the undergraduate and postgraduate education, residency training, and continuous education. In the Asia-Pacific region, bioethics education is less structured and often dependent on contextual constraints. This paper provides a cross-sectional analysis, describing institutional experiences in developing bioethics curriculum at two medical schools in Malaysia and Hong Kong. The medical programmes of the two institutions are distinctive in terms curriculum framework, teaching approach, and topic selection, and common challenges include implementation of bioethics courses, students’ resistance to bioethics, and limited teaching capacity, emerged as they evolve. The reported experiences revealed that there is room for improvement regarding how medical schools integrate bioethics education in regions where curriculum development remains at an early stage. At least, a bioethics education requires both top-down support from the faculty to improve teaching and educational quality, as well as from the bottom-up approach to empower students to raise awareness and concerns toward bioethics, and helps students developing reasoning through challenging issues.


id: cord-253111-n5ywei4t
author: Keck, Frédéric
date: 2018-04-14
txt: ./txt/cord-253111-n5ywei4t.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-253111-n5ywei4t.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32336932/
doi: 10.1111/1467-9655.12813
summary:
  title: Avian preparedness: simulations of bird diseases and reverse scenarios of extinction in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore This article describes relations between humans, animals, artefacts, and pathogens in simulations of disasters, taking bird diseases in three Chinese sentinel posts as ethnographic cases. Borrowing from the anthropology of hunting societies, it argues that simulations of bird diseases, considered as signs of future species extinction, rely on cynegetic techniques of power, in which humans and animals symmetrically shift perspectives, and not only on pastoralist techniques, in which humans are above the population they monitor and sometimes sacrifice. While public health relies on pastoral techniques of power combining sacrifice and surveillance to contain the threats coming from outside in a population (Foucault 1981) , the ''One World, One Health'' approach uses techniques from birdwatchers and wildlife managers to monitor data about changing relations between humans and animals.

title:
  Avian preparedness: simulations of bird diseases and reverse scenarios of extinction in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore

abstract:
  This article describes relations between humans, animals, artefacts, and pathogens in simulations of disasters, taking bird diseases in three Chinese sentinel posts as ethnographic cases. Drawing on distinctions between simulation, ritual, and play, it shows that the engagement of actors in the imaginary of simulations, which they describe as ‘realism’, reflectively reverses the oppositions between humans and nonhumans, active and passive, fiction and reality that shape ordinary life. Borrowing from the anthropology of hunting societies, it argues that simulations of bird diseases, considered as signs of future species extinction, rely on cynegetic techniques of power, in which humans and animals symmetrically shift perspectives, and not only on pastoralist techniques, in which humans are above the population they monitor and sometimes sacrifice.


id: cord-254340-e1x0z3rh
author: Cruz, Christian Joy Pattawi
date: 2020-06-26
txt: ./txt/cord-254340-e1x0z3rh.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-254340-e1x0z3rh.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32589645/
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235306
summary:
  Using detailed case data from Hong Kong''s Centre for Health Department and Immigration Department, we analyze the sex and age distribution of the confirmed cases along with their recent travel histories and immigration flows for the period January to April 2020. Our analysis highlights Hong Kong''s high proportion of imported cases and large overseas student population in developing COVID-19 hotspot areas such as the United Kingdom. Our study includes an examination of the age and sex distribution of the COVID-19 confirmed cases in Hong Kong and an exploration of how the different measures to combat this outbreak resulted in a relatively low number of cases and deaths. In this paper, we highlight the potential impact of the young profile of the confirmed cases on the total number of mortalities and the effect of early, aggressive policy measures including travel bans, enforced quarantines and contact-tracing imposed by the Hong Kong government as early as January 27, 2020 in containing the spread of the COVID-19.

title:
  Exploring the young demographic profile of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong: Evidence from migration and travel history data

abstract:
  This paper investigates the profile of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, highlighting the unique age structure of confirmed cases compared to other territories. While the majority of cases in most territories around the world have fitted an older age profile, our analysis shows that positive cases in Hong Kong have been concentrated among younger age groups, with the largest incidence of cases reported in the 15–24 age group. This is despite the population’s rapidly aging structure and extremely high levels of population density. Using detailed case data from Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Department and Immigration Department, we analyze the sex and age distribution of the confirmed cases along with their recent travel histories and immigration flows for the period January to April 2020. Our analysis highlights Hong Kong’s high proportion of imported cases and large overseas student population in developing COVID-19 hotspot areas such as the United Kingdom. Combined with community action and targeted and aggressive early policy measures taken to contain the virus, these factors may have contributed to the uniquely younger age structure of COVID-19 cases in the city. Consequently, this young profile of confirmed cases may have prevented fatalities in the territory. Recent research has highlighted the importance of a demographic approach to understanding COVID-19 transmission and fatality rates. The experience in Hong Kong shows that while an older population age structure may be important for understanding COVID-19 fatality, it is not a given. From a social science perspective at least, there is ‘no easy answer’ to why one area should experience COVID-19 differently from another.


id: cord-255284-ffh1jl40
title: Syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère
author: Guery, B
date: 2003-06-30
txt: ./txt/cord-255284-ffh1jl40.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-255284-ffh1jl40.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0399077X03002002
doi: 10.1016/s0399-077x(03)00200-2
summary:
  Cette épidémie a suscité une réponse extrêmement rapide de la communauté internationale qui en quelques semaines a permis d''isoler l''agent responsable, un nouveau Coronavirus, de proposer une prise en charge thérapeutique et des mesures spécifiques pour limiter la diffusion de l''épidémie. Deux éléments notables sont évoqués dans cette publication, tout d''abord le fait que seuls les patients atteints de SARS ont des anticorps témoignant du fait que ce virus circule pour la première fois. À noter que cette faculté existe chez un Coronavirus porcin entraînant des pathologies respiratoires mais, aucun lien de parenté entre ces deux virus n''a été mis en évidence. Dans le cas du SARS, les premières analyses montrent que la contamination nécessite un contact prolongé et répété avec un malade présentant une symptomatologie pulmonaire. ont montré la présente d''ARN du Coronavirus responsable du SARS dans les selles des patients [4] .

abstract:
  Résumé Le syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère (severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS) est apparu à l’automne 2002 dans la province de Guangdong en Chine. L’épidémie s’est rapidement propagée à travers le monde pour toucher, courant avril, plus de 26 pays avec un total de cas à cette même date proche de 3500 cas. La symptomatologie associe des formes modérées se manifestant par une fièvre, une hypoxie, avec des formes de gravité majeure responsables de syndrome de détresse aigue nécessitant l’hospitalisation en unité de réanimation. Des formes digestives ont aussi récemment été décrites. Cette épidémie a suscité une réponse extrêmement rapide de la communauté internationale qui en quelques semaines a permis d’isoler l’agent responsable, un nouveau Coronavirus, de proposer une prise en charge thérapeutique et des mesures spécifiques pour limiter la diffusion de l’épidémie. Cette revue rassemble l’ensemble des données actuellement disponibles sur le SARS, de l’histoire de l’épidémie aux propositions thérapeutiques disponibles en date d’avril 2003. Abstract In the Fall of 2002 a report from Guangdong Province in China showed the occurrence of an outbreak of atypical pneumonia. This outbreak rapidly progressed from China to Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto, and the USA, to more than 25 countries worldwide and almost 3500 cases to date in april 2003. The clinical features associate a fever with mild respiratory symptoms which can progress to a typical acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intensive care unit admission. Enteric forms with diarrhea were recently described in Hong Kong. The medical community responded very rapidly and united in front of this major health crisis. In a couple weeks, the agent, a new Coronavirus was isolated, therapeutic guidelines were proposed and measures to limit the outbreak diffusion were started worldwide. We summarize here the history of the outbreak, the clinical, laboratory and radiological features of SARS. April 2003 therapeutic guidelines are also reported.


id: cord-256163-62cc135r
title: Cybercrime in cloud: Risks and responses in Hong Kong, Singapore
author: Laurie Lau, Yiu Chung
date: 2015-06-05
txt: ./txt/cord-256163-62cc135r.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-256163-62cc135r.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/B9780128015957000021
doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801595-7.00002-1
summary:
  Then, I review how the authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore respond to cybercrime risks and explore the current government policies on cloud computing, particularly in fighting cybercrime. For instance, in accordance with the United Nation International Telecommunication Union (UNITU) report on the digital divide in 2012, 1 IT disparities in terms of access to information and communication technology are pronounced between the developed Western economies such as those of America, Canada, and Western European countries (this group includes a few advanced economies in Asia such as those of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong), and the lessdeveloped economies such as those of Northern Africa, Latin America, Pacific Ocean Islands, and some parts of South Eastern Asia. At the domestic level, both governments in Hong Kong and in Singapore must provide sufficient financial support to the policing agencies to enable them to fight the emerging crime such as cloud and smart mobile phone crimes.

abstract:
  The popularity and commercialization of the “Internetwork” began in the late 1990s through the interconnection of computer networks using special gateways or routers to transfer packets of electronic data. As with many things in life, Internetwork technology has had both positive and negative effects on society, and Asia has been no exception. One of the negative effects has been a surge in Internet crime. According to a report released by the Gartner Consulting Group, in 2013 smart phone sales exceeded regular phone sales for the first time, with 968 million smart phones sold, representing 54% of the global mobile phone total and an increase of 54% from 2012. The popularity and technology of the mobile Internetwork, especially the smart mobile phone web, has changed the Internetwork landscape through the concept of cloud computing. Cloud computing is distributed computing over a network, using a program or application that can run on many connected computers and in different locations around the globe simultaneously at a reduced cost. This distributed cloud computing presents law enforcement authorities with the unique challenge of policing Internet crime. Cloud computing relies on sharing resources to achieve coherence, and in doing so creates economies of scale for converged infrastructures and shared services. Accordingly, one problem facing the authorities is the presence of trans- and multijurisdictional crimes. In this chapter, I explore this topic in the contexts of Hong Kong and Singapore, as both are key players on the international stage, especially in relation to international finance and information technology. In both locations, infrastructure works to maintain global financial center status. The remainder of this chapter is organized as follows. A brief overview of the development of cloud computing is followed by an examination of cybercrime risks in the cloud. Then, I review how the authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore respond to cybercrime risks and explore the current government policies on cloud computing, particularly in fighting cybercrime.


id: cord-258307-nsdhvc8w
author: Maki, Dennis G.
date: 2011-10-20
txt: ./txt/cord-258307-nsdhvc8w.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-258307-nsdhvc8w.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025619611621812
doi: 10.4065/79.11.1359
abstract: nan
summary:
  The most recent and perhaps most fearsome emerging infections are the appearance of West Nile virus encephalitis in New York City in 1999 and its rapid spread westward 6 ; inhalation anthrax, deriving from use of Bacillus anthracis spores as a biologic weapon against the US civilian population in 2001 7 ; the global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 8 ; and the looming threat of pandemic influenza, especially global disease caused by the highly virulent avian subtype A (H5N1). If it is not, the effort will not have been wasted because it is likely that all the planning and resource allocation will prove invaluable for controlling the spread of natural emerging pathogens, such as SARS-CoV or a new strain of influenza virus, which are probably far more likely to pose a serious threat to human and animal health in the United States and worldwide.

title:
  SARS Revisited: The Challenge of Controlling Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Local, Regional, Federal, and Global Levels


id: cord-260438-oezkz55m
author: Tung, W.L.
date: 2010-08-20
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2010.07.116
doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2010.07.116
title:
  Financial volatility trading using a self-organising neural-fuzzy semantic network and option straddle-based approach

abstract:
  Financial volatility refers to the intensity of the fluctuations in the expected return on an investment or the pricing of a financial asset due to market uncertainties. Hence, volatility modeling and forecasting is imperative to financial market investors, as such projections allow the investors to adjust their trading strategies in anticipation of the impending financial market movements. Following this, financial volatility trading is the capitalization of the uncertainties of the financial markets to realize investment profits in times of rising, falling and side-way market conditions. In this paper, an intelligent straddle trading system (framework) that consists of a volatility projection module (VPM) and a trade decision module (TDM) is proposed for financial volatility trading via the buying and selling of option straddles to help a human trader capitalizes on the underlying uncertainties of the Hong Kong stock market. Three different measures, namely: (1) the historical volatility (HV), (2) implied volatility (IV) and (3) model-based volatility (MV) of the Hang Seng Index (HSI) are employed to quantify the implicit volatility of the Hong Kong stock market. The TDM of the proposed straddle trading system combines the respective volatility measures with the well-established moving-averages convergence/divergence (MACD) principle to recommend trading actions to a human trader dealing in HSI straddles. However, the inherent limitation of the MACD trading rule is that it generates time-delayed trading signals due to the use of moving averages, which are essentially lagging trend indicators. This drawback is intuitively addressed in the proposed straddle trading system by applying the VPM to compute future projections of the volatility measures of the HSI prior to the activation of the TDM. The VPM is realized by a self-organising neural-fuzzy semantic network named the evolving fuzzy semantic memory (eFSM) model. As compared to existing statistical and computational intelligence based modeling techniques currently employed for financial volatility modeling and forecasting, eFSM possesses several desirable attributes such as: (1) an evolvable knowledge base to continuously address the non-stationary characteristics of the Hong Kong stock market; (2) highly formalized human-like information computations; and (3) a transparent structure that can be interpreted via a set of linguistic IF–THEN semantic fuzzy rules. These qualities provide added credence to the computed HSI volatility projections. The volatility modeling and forecasting performances of the eFSM, when benchmarked to several established modeling techniques, as well as the observed trading returns of the proposed straddle trading system, are encouraging.


id: cord-260503-yq4dtf8n
title: Severe acute respiratory syndrome and dentistry A retrospective view
author: SAMARANAYAKE, LAKSHMAN P.
date: 2004-09-30
txt: ./txt/cord-260503-yq4dtf8n.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-260503-yq4dtf8n.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15493394/
doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0405
summary:
  Objectives The authors trace the emergence of the SARS outbreak from southern China and its spread worldwide, discuss the viral etiology of the infection and its clinical features, and review the infection control guidelines issued during the outbreak by the health authorities in Hong Kong, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the American Dental Association. Conclusions and Clinical Implications Researchers believe that a combination of factors, including the universal infection control measures that the dental community has implemented and/or the low degree of viral shedding in the prodromal phase of SARS, may have obviated the spread of the disease in dental settings. Interim domestic infection control precautions for aerosol-generating procedures on C L I N I C A L P R A C T I C E patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

abstract:
  ABSTRACT Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which has created panic in Asia and in some parts of North America, is the first epidemic of the new century. Although it has been well-contained, sporadic cases continue to emerge. Objectives The authors trace the emergence of the SARS outbreak from southern China and its spread worldwide, discuss the viral etiology of the infection and its clinical features, and review the infection control guidelines issued during the outbreak by the health authorities in Hong Kong, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the American Dental Association. They also review the prospects for a new outbreak and preventive measures. Overview The disease, which is caused by a novel coronavirus termed the “SARS coronavirus,” or SARS-CoV, essentially spreads through droplet infection and affects people of any age. It has a mortality rate ranging from 10 to 15 percent. A major hallmark of this disease has been the rate at which it has affected health care workers through nosocomial transmission; in some countries, up to one-fourth to one-third of those infected were in this category. However, no dental health care worker has been affected by SARS in a nosocomial or dental setting. Conclusions and Clinical Implications Researchers believe that a combination of factors, including the universal infection control measures that the dental community has implemented and/or the low degree of viral shedding in the prodromal phase of SARS, may have obviated the spread of the disease in dental settings. The dental community should reflect on this outbreak to reinforce the currently applied infection control measures.


id: cord-261025-y49su5uc
title: SARS: Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, Management, and Infection Control Measures
author: Sampathkumar, Priya
date: 2003-07-31
txt: ./txt/cord-261025-y49su5uc.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-261025-y49su5uc.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002561961162689X
doi: 10.4065/78.7.882
summary:
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently recognized febrile respiratory illness that first appeared in southern China in November 2002, has since spread to several countries, and has resulted in more than 8000 cases and more than 750 deaths. This article summarizes currently available information regarding the epidemiology, clinical features, etiologic agent, and modes of transmission of the disease, as well as infection control measures appropriate to contain SARS. An RT-PCR test specific for RNA from the SARS-CoV has been positive within the first 10 days after fever onset in respiratory specimens from most patients considered probable cases of SARS who have been tested and in stool samples in the second week of illness. Case definitions of SARS are currently based on the presence of epidemiological risk factors (close contact with patients with SARS or travel to SARS-affected areas) and a combination of fever and respiratory symptoms, with or without chest radiographic changes. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Singapore: clinical features of index patient and initial contacts

abstract:
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently recognized febrile respiratory illness that first appeared in southern China in November 2002, has since spread to several countries, and has resulted in more than 8000 cases and more than 750 deaths. The disease has been etiologically linked to a novel coronavirus that has been named the SARS-associated coronavirus. It appears to be spread primarily by large droplet transmission. There is no specific therapy, and management consists of supportive care. This article summarizes currently available information regarding the epidemiology, clinical features, etiologic agent, and modes of transmission of the disease, as well as infection control measures appropriate to contain SARS.


id: cord-262545-bs8p50ig
author: Luk, Andrea O. Y.
date: 2020-02-20
txt: ./txt/cord-262545-bs8p50ig.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-262545-bs8p50ig.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003052
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003052
summary:
  From the 2012-2014 National Health Insurance Service database containing 706 physician-reported cases of type 1 diabetes in children aged <15 years in South Korea, Kim and colleagues reported an incidence of 3.2 per 100,000 person-years, which was 2.3-fold higher compared with the rate recorded in the earlier period of 1995-2000 [13] . Based on retrospective retrieval of 255 paediatric cases of newly diagnosed diabetes between 1984 and 1996, Huen and colleagues recorded an incidence of 1.4 per 100,000 person-years for type 1 diabetes in children aged <15 years in Hong Kong, which was considerably lower than our updated estimates of 5.3-6.4 per 100,000 person-years in a comparable age group [14] . In the present study, 60% of incident cases of diabetes in people aged <20 years were type 2 diabetes. In this report on the secular trend of the incidence of diabetes in Hong Kong, we revealed that the incidence of type 1 diabetes increased in people aged <20 years and was stable in other age groups.

title:
  Secular trends in incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong: A retrospective cohort study

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: There is very limited data on the time trend of diabetes incidence in Asia. Using population-level data, we report the secular trend of the incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2015. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The Hong Kong Diabetes Surveillance Database hosts clinical information on people with diabetes receiving care under the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, a statutory body that governs all public hospitals and clinics. Sex-specific incidence rates were standardised to the age structure of the World Health Organization population. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to describe incidence trends. A total of 562,022 cases of incident diabetes (type 1 diabetes [n = 2,426]: mean age at diagnosis is 32.5 years, 48.4% men; type 2 diabetes [n = 559,596]: mean age at diagnosis is 61.8 years, 51.9% men) were included. Among people aged <20 years, incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increased. For type 1 diabetes, the incidence increased from 3.5 (95% CI 2.2–4.9) to 5.3 (95% CI 3.4–7.1) per 100,000 person-years (average annual percentage change [AAPC] 3.6% [95% CI 0.2–7.1], p < 0.05) in boys and from 4.3 (95% CI 2.7–5.8) to 6.4 (95% CI 4.3–8.4) per 100,000 person-years (AAPC 4.7% [95% CI 1.7–7.7], p < 0.05] in girls; for type 2 diabetes, the incidence increased from 4.6 (95% CI 3.2–6.0) to 7.5 (95% CI 5.5–9.6) per 100,000 person-years (AAPC 5.9% [95% CI 3.4–8.5], p < 0.05) in boys and from 5.9 (95% CI 4.3–7.6) to 8.5 (95% CI 6.2–10.8) per 100,000 person-years (AAPC 4.8% [95% CI 2.7–7.0], p < 0.05) in girls. In people aged 20 to <40 years, incidence of type 1 diabetes remained stable, but incidence of type 2 diabetes increased over time from 75.4 (95% CI 70.1–80.7) to 110.8 (95% CI 104.1–117.5) per 100,000 person-years (AAPC 4.2% [95% CI 3.1–5.3], p < 0.05) in men and from 45.0 (95% CI 41.4–48.6) to 62.1 (95% CI 57.8–66.3) per 100,000 person-years (AAPC 3.3% [95% CI 2.3–4.2], p < 0.05) in women. In people aged 40 to <60 years, incidence of type 2 diabetes increased until 2011/2012 and then flattened. In people aged ≥60 years, incidence was stable in men and declined in women after 2011. No trend was identified in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in people aged ≥20 years. The present study is limited by its reliance on electronic medical records for identification of people with diabetes, which may result in incomplete capture of diabetes cases. The differentiation of type 1 and type 2 diabetes was based on an algorithm subject to potential misclassification. CONCLUSIONS: There was an increase in incidence of type 2 diabetes in people aged <40 years and stabilisation in people aged ≥40 years. Incidence of type 1 diabetes continued to climb in people aged <20 years but remained constant in other age groups.


id: cord-263941-afxh7rks
author: Yip, Paul
date: 2020-10-27
txt: ./txt/cord-263941-afxh7rks.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-263941-afxh7rks.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33133735/
doi: 10.1007/s42379-020-00069-z
summary:
  The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) system in Hong Kong provides a safety net for those aged children and adults below 65 years old who cannot support themselves financially. For Hong Kong, after accounting for government recurrent cash benefits (including various kinds of social security schemes including CSSA), the size of the poor population was reduced from 1.4 million to just over 1 million (14.7% of the population)-a 28% reduction in the size of the poverty population. In this study, we adopt a decomposition analysis to assess the impact of population growth and age structure on the numbers of people moving in and out of the CSSA scheme for the period 2014-2018. The decomposition analysis allows us to examine the impact on the number of CSSA recipients of changes in arrival and removal, population size and age distribution.

title:
  A decomposition analysis to examine the change in the number of recipients in the comprehensive social security assistance (CSSA) system

abstract:
  Social security is an important social and public policy measure to help address poverty in any contemporary society. The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) system in Hong Kong provides a safety net for those aged children and adults below 65 years old who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs. The rapid increase in social welfare expenditure in the last decade has become a concern to the Hong Kong SAR Government. The overall social welfare expenditure has accounted for nearly 15.6% of government expenditure in 2018, with the total amount increasing from $58 billion to $90 billion (an increase of 72.4%) for the period 2014-2018. However, the amount spent on CSSA only increased from $20.7 billion to $22.3 billion with an increase of 7.7% only for the same period. The much slower magnitude of increase is related to the reduction in the number of CSSA recipients, which decreased from 237,501 to 185,528 over the period. A decomposition method was used to assess the changes in the number of people in the CSSA system. It showed that the rate of arriving into the system has been decreasing due to a robust economy with a very low unemployment rate; whereas moving out of the system has also been decreasing in the past 5 years. This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the widening of the income gap in the community in the period. Despite the increase in population size, as long as employment conditions remain strong and the momentum of leaving the system can be maintained, the number of CSSA recipients will continue to decrease. However, the results also suggested that a certain proportion of CSSA recipients will not be able to move out of the system and have been trapped. Some innovative methods to help them out of CSSA are discussed. In view of the poor economic outlook arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for the Government to have effective measures to keep people in their jobs. If the unemployment rate will does not substantially increase and then increase of in CSSA recipients can be contained.


id: cord-268789-9b4quuqx
author: Zhou, Y.
date: 2011-08-31
txt: ./txt/cord-268789-9b4quuqx.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-268789-9b4quuqx.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2011.02.017
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.02.017
summary:
  We conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) among HCWs in Hong Kong in February–March 2010 following the first pandemic wave. Under good adherence to infection control guidelines, potential occupational exposures in the hospital setting did not appear to be associated with any substantial excess risk of pH1N1 infection in HCWs. Most HCWs had low antibody titres following the first pandemic wave. Among the 574 HCWs who did not report laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 infection, 11% (95% CI: 8.5e14) Table III shows the comparison of pH1N1 antibody seroprevalence in HCWs versus blood donors at the Hong Kong Red Cross involved in a separate community study. 4 In our study 19/599 (3.2%) unvaccinated HCWs reported laboratory-confirmed pandemic H1N1 infection compared with an overall rate of 1% in HCWs in Hong Kong, while 12.4% of unvaccinated HCWs had antibody titre !1:40.

title:
  Seroprevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 among healthcare workers after the first wave in Hong Kong

abstract:
  Summary During the first wave of an influenza pandemic prior to the availability of an effective vaccine, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be at particular risk of infection with the novel influenza strain. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) among HCWs in Hong Kong in February–March 2010 following the first pandemic wave. Sera collected from HCWs were tested for antibody to pH1N1 influenza virus by viral neutralisation (VN). We assessed factors associated with higher antibody titres, and we compared antibody titres in HCWs with those in a separate community study. In total we enrolled 703 HCWs. Among 599 HCWs who did not report receipt of pH1N1 vaccine, 12% had antibody titre ≥1:40 by VN. There were no significant differences in the age-specific proportions of unvaccinated HCWs with antibody titre ≥1:40 compared with the general community following the first wave of pH1N1. Under good adherence to infection control guidelines, potential occupational exposures in the hospital setting did not appear to be associated with any substantial excess risk of pH1N1 infection in HCWs. Most HCWs had low antibody titres following the first pandemic wave.


id: cord-269213-tsm6zoe3
author: Slaughter, Laura
date: 2005-01-30
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S153204640500002X
doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2004.12.006
title:
  A framework for capturing the interactions between laypersons’ understanding of disease, information gathering behaviors, and actions taken during an epidemic

abstract:
  This paper provides a description of a methodological framework designed to capture the inter-relationships between the lay publics’ understanding of health-related processes, information gathering behaviors, and actions taken during an outbreak. We developed and refined our methods during a study involving eight participants living in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-affected areas (Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Toronto). The framework is an adaptation of narrative analysis, a qualitative method that is used to investigate a phenomenon through interpretation of the stories people tell about their experiences. From our work, several hypotheses emerged that will contribute to future research. For example, our findings showed that many decisions in an epidemic are carefully considered and involve use of significant information gathering. Having a good model of lay actions based on information received and beliefs held will contribute to the development of more effective information support systems in the event of a future epidemic.


id: cord-269612-pmzdovna
title: Politics, media and microbiologists
author: Pennington, Hugh
date: 2004
txt: ./txt/cord-269612-pmzdovna.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-269612-pmzdovna.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15083161/
doi: 10.1038/nrmicro846
summary:
  Studies on the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong 1 -after the exclusion of two ''superspread'' events where special circumstances allowed index cases to infect many individuals (at the Prince of Wales Hospital and at the Amoy Gardens estate) -gave an estimated R 0 value of 2.7. From analyses of samples taken from Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong, laboratories in the network ruled out the possibility of infection by any of the known influenza virus strains or other established causes of pneumonia, and concluded that SARS was new. It meant that the Hong Kong Department of Health, Hospital Authority and laboratory surveillance facility 11 , and the WHO, were particularly well prepared to respond to the SARS outbreak. In March 1997, an outbreak of avian influenza caused by the A virus subtype H5N1 killed several thousand chickens in three rural Hong Kong chicken farms.

abstract:
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) took everybody by surprise. Its emergence was one of the most significant microbiological events of 2003. It challenged microbiologists to identify the aetiological agent and satisfy Koch's postulates — in so far as they ever can be met for a virus — in real time. Not only were the patients' respiratory secretions and the agents grown in cultured cells put under the microscope, but so were the actions of politicians. What lessons can we learn from SARS?


id: cord-269973-sntnmqqd
title: Unique SARS-CoV-2 clusters causing a large COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong
author: To, Kelvin Kai-Wang
date: 2020-08-05
txt: ./txt/cord-269973-sntnmqqd.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-269973-sntnmqqd.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32756996/
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1119
summary:
  However, the number of COVID-19 cases remained relatively low due to the early implementation of stringent public health measures, including border control, voluntary community-wide wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, prompt isolation of suspected cases, and testing and quarantine of close contacts and travelers from epidemic areas [2, 3] . Spike protein D614G mutation was not found in any genomes during the first wave, which mainly involved travelers from mainland China or other parts of Asia, or the linked local cases. The majority of genomes from locally-acquired cases (91%) during this third wave belong to a cluster HK1, a unique cluster within the GR clade, which is characterized by 4 non-synonymous mutations (nsp3 A85V, nsp15 A231V, spike protein S12F, NP A12G) and 1 synonymous mutation (NP C29144T). Two unique SARS-CoV-2 clusters have been identified during this large summer outbreak in Hong Kong shortly after the easing of social distancing policies.

abstract:
  After two months of relative quiescence, a large COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Hong Kong in July 2020 after gradual relaxation of social distancing policy. Two unique SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic clusters have been identified among locally-acquired cases, with most genomes belonging to cluster HK1 which is phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2 reported overseas.


id: cord-270278-d61n3v90
author: Choi, S.M.Y.
date: 2009-03-31
txt: ./txt/cord-270278-d61n3v90.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-270278-d61n3v90.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19264334/
doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2009.01.004
summary:
  This article shares Hong Kong''s experience in reforming its public health legislation to: (1) update terminology and re-organize provisions in accordance with modern public health disease control principles and control mechanisms for disease; (2) enhance responsiveness for better preparedness and flexibility in handling emergent infections; (3) ensure appropriate checks and balances to coercive powers; and (4) introduce emergency powers for the handling of public health emergencies. During the outbreak of SARS in 2003, the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance 2 (QPDO) of the laws of Hong Kong was the legal tool that provided the legal framework for the prevention and control of infectious diseases of public health importance in Hong Kong. This article shares Hong Kong''s experience in reforming its public health legislation, leading to the passing of the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance 4 in order to strengthen the capacity of law to support strategy in the control of infectious diseases.

title:
  Enhancing legal preparedness for the prevention and control of infectious diseases: Experience from severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong

abstract:
  Summary The use of legislation as a health protection tool forms an important and distinct aspect in the arena of public health. A review of Hong Kong's infectious disease legislation was conducted with a view to updating the legal framework for the prevention of infectious diseases, in order to strengthen the capacity of law to support strategy in the control of infectious diseases. This article shares Hong Kong's experience in reforming its public health legislation to: (1) update terminology and re-organize provisions in accordance with modern public health disease control principles and control mechanisms for disease; (2) enhance responsiveness for better preparedness and flexibility in handling emergent infections; (3) ensure appropriate checks and balances to coercive powers; and (4) introduce emergency powers for the handling of public health emergencies.


id: cord-272207-jtvf257r
author: Liao, Qiuyan
date: 2014-03-27
txt: ./txt/cord-272207-jtvf257r.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-272207-jtvf257r.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-14-169
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-169
summary:
  This study was aimed to compare the strength of associations between different cognitive and affective measures of risk and self-reported protective behaviors in a series of ten cross-sectional surveys conducted throughout the first wave of influenza A/H1N1 pandemic. RESULTS: Excepting state anxiety, other affective measures including "anticipated worry", "experienced worry" and "current worry" specific to A/H1N1 risk were consistently and strongly associated with adoption of protective behaviors across different survey periods. This finding is consistent with those from other studies conducted during both SARS [6] and pandemic A/H1N1 [10, 24] , suggesting that affective components contribute significantly to adoption of protective behaviors in response to the threat during epidemics over and above simpler cognitive risk estimates. This study found that the proportions of missing data for purer cognitive risk perception measures, particularly perceived absolute/relative susceptibility to A/H1N1 were greater than for affect-loaded measures, suggesting that respondents may face greater Figure 3 Associations between psychological responses and disinfecting household frequently during A/H1N1 pandemic.

title:
  Anxiety, worry and cognitive risk estimate in relation to protective behaviors during the 2009 influenza A/H1N1 pandemic in Hong Kong: ten cross-sectional surveys

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated associations between psychological and behavioral indices throughout a major epidemic. This study was aimed to compare the strength of associations between different cognitive and affective measures of risk and self-reported protective behaviors in a series of ten cross-sectional surveys conducted throughout the first wave of influenza A/H1N1 pandemic. METHODS: All surveys were conducted using questionnaire-based telephone interviews, with random digit dialing to recruit adults from the general population. Measures of anxiety and worry (affective) and perceived risk (cognitive) regarding A/H1N1 were made in 10 serial surveys. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the cognitive/affective-behavioral associations in each survey while multilevel logistic models were conducted to estimate the average effects of each cognitive/affective measure on adoption of protective behaviors throughout the ten surveys. RESULTS: Excepting state anxiety, other affective measures including “anticipated worry”, “experienced worry” and “current worry” specific to A/H1N1 risk were consistently and strongly associated with adoption of protective behaviors across different survey periods. However, the cognitive-behavioral associations were weaker and inconsistent across the ten surveys. Perceived A/H1N1 severity relative to SARS had stronger associations with adoption of protective behaviors in the late epidemic periods than in the early epidemic periods. CONCLUSION: Risk-specific worries appear to be significantly associated with the adoption of protective behaviors at different epidemic stages, whereas cognitive measures may become more important in understanding people’s behavioral responses later in epidemics. Future epidemic-related psycho-behavioral research should include more affective-loaded measures of risk.


id: cord-272526-2fgtjouu
author: Hutton, Thomas A
date: 2003-05-30
txt: ./txt/cord-272526-2fgtjouu.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-272526-2fgtjouu.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0305900603000138
doi: 10.1016/s0305-9006(03)00013-8
summary:
  5 5 In general scholarly attention to the growth and development of service activities has evolved as follows: (a) an early interest in the growth of high-rise offices in the CBDs of the largest metropolitan cities, including important theoretical and conceptual contributions (Gottmann, 1961) , (b) a stream of empirical studies of office location, emphasizing regional policy implications and urban planning problems (Daniels, 1975; Goddard, 1975) , (c) growing interest in the social ramifications of services growth (Bell, 1973) , (d) a sharper analytical focus on business, ''producer'' and other intermediate services, and their role in urban and regional development (Noyelle and Stanback, 1984) , and in the operation of ''flexible'' industrial regimes, (e) assessments of the global dimensions of services development, especially in banking and finance, as well as in producer services and communications (Daniels, 1993 ), (f) acknowledgement of the importance of specialized services in the emergence of the ''informational city'' and urban society (Castells, 1989) , and (g) explorations of the intersections between tertiarization, occupational shifts, urban class (re)formation, and community-level impacts, especially in the metropolitan core (Ley, 1996) .

title:
  Service industries, globalization, and urban restructuring within the Asia-Pacific: new development trajectories and planning responses

abstract:
  While industralization programmes have been central to the development of Asia-Pacific states and city-regions over the past half-century, service industries are increasingly important as instruments of urban growth and change. The purpose of this paper is to establish service industries as increasingly significant aspects of urban development within the Asia-Pacific, and to propose a conceptual and analytical framework for scholarly investigation within this important research domain. To this end the paper explores a sequence of related themes and issues, concerning the larger developmental implications of urban services growth (or tertiarization), the facets of urban transformation associated with tertiarization, and a preliminary typology of urban service functions which acknowledges the rich diversity of service vocations and stages of development within the Asia-Pacific. The paper concludes that “advanced services”—specialized, intermediate service industries, advanced-technology services, and creative service industries—will be quite crucial to the development of city-regions within the Asia-Pacific, with respect to employment growth and human capital formation, to the urban economic (or export) base, to the operation of flexible production systems, and to competitive advantage. The development of these urban service poles will require innovative policy commitments and regulatory adjustments, as will the multi-centred specialized urban service corridors which function as engines of regional economic growth, and which provide platforms for national modernization and responses to the pressures (and opportunities) of globalization. To date, urban and regional development strategies for service industries within the Asia-Pacific have privileged globalization, industrial restructuring, and modernization aims, but there is also an encouraging record of more progressive planning experimentation in some jurisdictions, incorporating principles of sustainability and co-operative development. There is also increasing interest in policies to support cultural and creative industries among Asia-Pacific city-regions, informed by some recent urban policy experimentation in this domain. These experiences can offer models for further policy and programmatic innovation in the 21st century, as service industries continue to play larger roles in urban and regional development within the Asia-Pacific.


id: cord-273638-mmlwh87u
author: Tso, Ivy F.
date: 2020-08-23
txt: ./txt/cord-273638-mmlwh87u.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-273638-mmlwh87u.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32871487/
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113423
summary:
  Thus, Hong Kong is a model case for the population-wide practice of effective social distancing and provides an opportunity to examine the impact of loneliness on mental health during the COVID-19.  We conducted an online survey to examine the impact of loneliness on mental health during COVID-19 in Hong Kong, a model case for the population-wide practice of effective social distancing. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of loneliness in mental health during COVID-19 with important factors likely impacting wellbeing controlled, and extend the investigation from depression and anxiety to other mental health concerns such as substance use and symptoms indicative of more severe disorders (e.g., psychosis).

title:
  Alarming levels of psychiatric symptoms and the role of loneliness during the COVID-19 epidemic: A case study of Hong Kong

abstract:
  Public health strategies to curb the spread of the coronavirus involve sheltering at home and social distancing are effective in reducing the transmission rate, but the unintended consequences of prolonged social isolation on mental health have not been investigated. We focused on Hong Kong for its very rapid and comprehensive response to the pandemic and strictly enacted social distancing protocols. Thus, Hong Kong is a model case for the population-wide practice of effective social distancing and provides an opportunity to examine the impact of loneliness on mental health during the COVID-19. We conducted an anonymous online survey of 432 residents in Hong Kong to examine psychological distress in the community. The results indicate a dire situation with respect to mental health. An astonishing 65.6% (95% C.I. = [60.6%, 70.4%]) of the respondents reported clinical levels of depression, anxiety, and/or stress. Moreover, 22.5% (95% C.I. = [18.2%, 27.2%]) of the respondents were showing signs of psychosis risk. Subjective feelings of loneliness, but not social network size, were associated with increased psychiatric symptoms. To mitigate the potential epidemic of mental illness in the near future, there is an urgent need to prepare clinicians, caregivers and stakeholders to focus on loneliness.


id: cord-274156-c0c4rjfa
title: Infection control practices among hospital health and support workers in Hong Kong
author: Chau, J.P.C.
date: 2010-08-31
txt: ./txt/cord-274156-c0c4rjfa.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-274156-c0c4rjfa.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S019567010900468X
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2009.10.014
summary:
  We examined compliance with isolation precautions and infection control guidelines, including proper wearing of a mask, goggles/face shield, or gown; handling patient care equipment, linen, and laundry; routine and terminal cleaning; and terminal cleaning of an isolation room. Activities were recorded using an observation checklist for two patient care activities: direct (physical examination, basic and technical nursing care) and indirect (computer data entry and disinfection of equipment); and for compliance with isolation precautions and infection control guidelines laid down by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HKHA). The support workers who performed this work demonstrated good compliance, though one was found not to wear a gown during the terminal cleaning of bedside equipment of a patient requiring contact precaution, and some failed to clean and disinfect environmental surfaces such as doorknobs, faucet handles and floors.

abstract:
  Summary A report by the Hong Kong government noted that hospital infection control standards were inadequate, requiring audit, development and implementation. In addition, hospital staff needed training in infection control measures. We investigated infection control practices among 162 hospital health workers (109 nurses, 45 doctors and 8 therapists) and 44 support workers in one acute hospital and two rehabilitation hospitals using a non-blinded, observational design. We examined compliance with isolation precautions and infection control guidelines, including proper wearing of a mask, goggles/face shield, or gown; handling patient care equipment, linen, and laundry; routine and terminal cleaning; and terminal cleaning of an isolation room. One major breakdown in compliance was use of sleeveless disposable plastic aprons instead of long-sleeved gowns during procedures likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood and body fluids. In more than half of the observed episodes, participants failed to disinfect medical devices, such as stethoscopes, before re-use. Thorough cleansing of commodes between patients was also lacking. Overall compliance with local and international infection control guidelines was satisfactory, but several aspects required improvement.


id: cord-274306-cxvnv8dy
title: Émergence de virus nouveaux en Asie : les changements climatiques sont-ils en cause ?
author: Chastel, C.
date: 2004-11-30
txt: ./txt/cord-274306-cxvnv8dy.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-274306-cxvnv8dy.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0399077X04001805
doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2004.07.027
summary:
  L''Asie, en particulier la Chine et le Sud-est asiatique, a également connu l''émergence de viroses humaines graves, telles que la dengue hémorragique (les Philippines, 1954) ou plusieurs pandémies grippales, la grippe asiatique (N2H2) en 1957, la grippe de Hong-Kong (H3N2) en 1968, et la grippe russe (H1N1) en 1977. Mais, c''est surtout au cours des dix dernières années que les émergences virales s''y sont multipliées avec l''apparition de la fièvre hémorragique à virus Alkhurma en Arabie Saoudite (1995), de la grippe aviaire H5N1 à Hong-Kong, en 1997, de l''encéphalite à virus Nipah en Malaisie, en 1998, et surtout du SRAS, en Chine du sud en 2002. Depuis l''extermination des porcs infectés, on a plus signalé de cas d''encéphalite à virus Nipah, mais il convient de rester vigilant car les roussettes et les porcs sont très nombreux dans tout le Sud-est asiatique.

abstract:
  Résumé L’Afrique tropicale n’est pas la seule région du monde où des virus dangereux pour l’homme aient récemment émergé. L’Asie, en particulier la Chine et le Sud-est asiatique, a également connu l’émergence de viroses humaines graves, telles que la dengue hémorragique (les Philippines, 1954) ou plusieurs pandémies grippales, la grippe asiatique (N2H2) en 1957, la grippe de Hong-Kong (H3N2) en 1968, et la grippe russe (H1N1) en 1977. Mais, c’est surtout au cours des dix dernières années que les émergences virales s’y sont multipliées avec l’apparition de la fièvre hémorragique à virus Alkhurma en Arabie Saoudite (1995), de la grippe aviaire H5N1 à Hong-Kong, en 1997, de l’encéphalite à virus Nipah en Malaisie, en 1998, et surtout du SRAS, en Chine du sud en 2002. Les facteurs climatiques n’ont probablement joué qu’un rôle réduit dans le succès émergentiel de ces viroses, favorisé plutôt par des facteurs humains : le développement d’élevages industriels d’animaux de basse cour augmentant les risques d’épizooties, les habitudes alimentaires, les pressions économiques et démographiques, les négligences dans la surveillance épidémiologique et la déclaration des premiers cas. Abstract Tropical Africa is not the only area where deadly viruses have recently emerged. In South-East Asia severe epidemics of dengue hemorrhagic fever started in 1954 and flu pandemics have originated from China such as the Asian flu (H2N2) in 1957, the Hong-Kong flu (H3N2) in 1968, and the Russian flu (H1N1) in 1977. However, it is especially during the last ten years that very dangerous viruses for mankind have repeatedly developed in Asia, with the occurrence of Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever in Saudi Arabia (1995), avian flu (H5N1) in Hong-Kong (1997), Nipah virus encephalitis in Malaysia (1998,) and, above all, the SARS pandemic fever from Southern China (2002). The evolution of these viral diseases was probably not directly affected by climate change. In fact, their emergential success may be better explained by the development of large industry poultry flocks increasing the risks of epizootics, dietary habits, economic and demographic constraints, and negligence in the surveillance and reporting of the first cases.


id: cord-275708-17cz3agx
title: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): chest radiographic features in children
author: Babyn, Paul S.
date: 2003-11-18
txt: ./txt/cord-275708-17cz3agx.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-275708-17cz3agx.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14624321/
doi: 10.1007/s00247-003-1081-8
summary:
  CONCLUSION: In pediatric cases, SARS manifests with nonspecific radiographic features making radiological differentiation difficult, especially from other commonly encountered childhood respiratory viral illnesses causing airspace disease. This article presents the initial chest radiographic findings collated from 62 children diagnosed as probable or suspect SARS cases during the recent SARS outbreak in Toronto, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Keywords Chest AE Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) AE Radiography AE CT AE Children the following signs and symptoms: fever, chills, body ache, cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea, dyspnea, tachypnea, crackles, headache, dizziness, hypoxemia, malaise, myalgia, rigor, lethargy, and gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. In general, fever and cough were the most common clinical presentation amongst younger pediatric SARS cases (age<10 years), whereas, in addition to these symptoms, headache, myalgia, sore throat, chills, and/or rigor were reported in older patients (age ‡10 years).

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently recognized condition of viral origin associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates in adults. Little information is available on its radiologic manifestations in children. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to characterize the radiographic presentation of children with SARS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We abstracted data (n=62) on the radiologic appearance and course of SARS in pediatric patients with suspect (n=25) or probable (n=37) SARS, diagnosed in five hospital sites located in three cities: Toronto, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Available chest radiographs and thoracic CTs were reviewed for the presence of the following radiographic findings: airspace disease, air bronchograms, airways inflammation and peribronchial thickening, interstitial disease, pleural effusion, and hilar adenopathy. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients (suspect=25, probable=37) were evaluated for SARS. Patient ages ranged from 5.5 months to 17 years and 11.5 months (average, 6 years and 10 months) with a female-to-male ratio of 32:30. Forty-one patients (66.1%) were in close contact with other probable, suspect, or quarantined cases; 10 patients (16.1%) had recently traveled to WHO-designated affected areas within 10 days; and 7 patients (11.2%) were transferred from other hospitals that had SARS patients. Three patients, who did not have close/hospital contact or travel history to affected areas, were classified as SARS cases based on their clinical signs and symptoms and on the fact that they were living in an endemic area. The most prominent clinical presentations were fever, with a temperature over 38 °C (100%), cough (62.9%), rhinorrhea (22.6%), myalgia (17.7%), chills (14.5%), and headache (11.3%). Other findings included sore throat (9.7%), gastrointestinal symptoms (9.7%), rigor (8.1%), and lethargy (6.5%). In general, fever and cough were the most common clinical presentations amongst younger pediatric SARS cases (age<10 years), whereas, in addition to these symptoms, headache, myalgia, sore throat, chills, and/or rigor were common in older patients (age≥10 years). The chest radiographs of 35.5% of patients were normal. The most prominent radiological findings that were observed in the remaining patients were areas of consolidation (45.2%), often peripheral with multifocal lesions in 22.6%. Peribronchial thickening was noted on chest radiographs of 14.5% of patients. Pleural effusion was observed only in one patient (age 17 years and 11.5 months), whereas interstitial disease was not observed in any patient. CONCLUSION: In pediatric cases, SARS manifests with nonspecific radiographic features making radiological differentiation difficult, especially from other commonly encountered childhood respiratory viral illnesses causing airspace disease. The radiographic presentation of suspected SARS cases ranged from normal to mild perihilar peribronchial thickening. The radiographic presentations, as expected, were relatively more pronounced in the SARS probable cases.


id: cord-276325-l26sdtxf
title: General thoracic surgery services across Asia during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
author: Jheon, Sanghoon
date: 2020-05-12
txt: ./txt/cord-276325-l26sdtxf.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-276325-l26sdtxf.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32396384/
doi: 10.1177/0218492320926886
summary:
  Hong Kong has largely avoided a massive surge in the incidence of COVID-19 cases despite the large numbers of people that normally travel daily between it and mainland China where the virus outbreak was first reported. On January 8, before a single case had even been confirmed in Hong Kong, the new "severe respiratory disease associated with a novel infectious agent" was listed as a notifiable disease, and all visiting at public hospitals was restricted. The net result of these parallel approaches was that care for suspected cases of COVID-19 was concentrated in public hospitals, whereas private hospitals could continue a degree of normal service, including elective surgery. At the time of writing, the only uncertainty in the near future is whether a recent uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases due to Hong Kong citizens returning from abroad and a mini-outbreak from those going to bars and clubs may evolve into a full-blown second or third wave of infections.

abstract:
  The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 posed an historic challenge to healthcare systems around the world. Besides mounting a massive response to the viral outbreak, healthcare systems needed to consider provision of clinical services to other patients in need. Surgical services for patients with thoracic disease were maintained to different degrees across various regions of Asia, ranging from significant reductions to near-normal service. Key determinants of robust thoracic surgery service provision included: preexisting plans for an epidemic response, aggressive early action to “flatten the curve”, ability to dedicate resources separately to COVID-19 and routine clinical services, prioritization of thoracic surgery, and the volume of COVID-19 cases in that region. The lessons learned can apply to other regions during this pandemic, and to the world, in preparation for the next one.


id: cord-276820-l7bd5y8y
author: So, Winnie K.W.
date: 2004-11-30
txt: ./txt/cord-276820-l7bd5y8y.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-276820-l7bd5y8y.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0020748904000677
doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.04.004
summary:
  authors: So, Winnie K.W.; Chan, Sophia S.C.; Lee, Angel C.K.; Tiwari, Agnes F.Y. title: The knowledge level and precautionary measures taken by older adults during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong Abstract The study aims to examine the knowledge and the practice of the precautionary measures taken by older adults in Hong Kong against the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The aim of the study is to describe the knowledge about SARS and precautionary measures taken by older adults in Hong Kong. Understanding older adults'' knowledge level and adherence to the government''s recommended precautionary measures to prevent transmission of SARS is an essential step in being able to design similar promotion programmes for this population in the future. (1) What demographic variables influenced older adults'' knowledge level, beliefs, and precautionary measures taken to prevent transmission of SARS?

title:
  The knowledge level and precautionary measures taken by older adults during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong

abstract:
  Abstract The study aims to examine the knowledge and the practice of the precautionary measures taken by older adults in Hong Kong against the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Overall, more than half the participants responded correctly that droplet transmission is one of the main transmission routes of SARS. Those who received formal education demonstrated that they acquired greater knowledge of the sources and precautionary measures for SARS. The types of precautionary measures used and the factors affecting their behaviours were discussed. The results of the study could help the health-care professionals develop appropriate health promotion and disease prevention programmes for older adults.


id: cord-283537-49ic7p3u
author: Chong, Ka Chun
date: 2015-01-28
txt: ./txt/cord-283537-49ic7p3u.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-283537-49ic7p3u.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120201560
doi: 10.3390/ijerph120201560
summary:
  Here we identified potential meteorological factors that drove the seasonal variations in influenza infections in a subtropical city, Hong Kong. From the results, air temperature was a common significant driver of seasonal patterns and cold temperature was associated with an increase in transmission intensity for most of the influenza epidemics. In this study, meteorological determinants that could drive the seasonal variations of influenza in Hong Kong were investigated by a mathematical model. The weekly average of meteorological parameters: air temperature, relative humidity, total rainfall, total solar radiation, wind direction, and wind speed from 2002 to 2009 were collected from the Hong Kong Observatory. Through modulating the transmission rates by the meteorological factors in an infectious disease model, the seasonal variations of influenza infections could be well-depicted. This study identified the potential meteorological drivers for the seasonal variations of influenza in a subtropical city, Hong Kong.

title:
  Identifying Meteorological Drivers for the Seasonal Variations of Influenza Infections in a Subtropical City — Hong Kong

abstract:
  Compared with temperate areas, the understanding of seasonal variations of influenza infections is lacking in subtropical and tropical regions. Insufficient information about viral activity increases the difficulty of forecasting the disease burden and thus hampers official preparation efforts. Here we identified potential meteorological factors that drove the seasonal variations in influenza infections in a subtropical city, Hong Kong. We fitted the meteorological data and influenza mortality data from 2002 to 2009 in a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model. From the results, air temperature was a common significant driver of seasonal patterns and cold temperature was associated with an increase in transmission intensity for most of the influenza epidemics. Except 2004, the fitted models with significant meteorological factors could account for more than 10% of the variance in additional to the null model. Rainfall was also found to be a significant driver of seasonal influenza, although results were less robust. The identified meteorological indicators could alert officials to take appropriate control measures for influenza epidemics, such as enhancing vaccination activities before cold seasons. Further studies are required to fully justify the associations.


id: cord-284028-l0r7f9sr
title: A loophole in international quarantine procedures disclosed during the SARS crisis
author: Lee, Chi-Wei
date: 2004-12-30
txt: ./txt/cord-284028-l0r7f9sr.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-284028-l0r7f9sr.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893904001267
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2004.10.002
summary:
  This phenomenon revealed a loophole in the control mechanisms of international quarantine procedures, letting travelers carrying a highly contagious virus slip by undetected and causing possible multi-country outbreaks of communicable diseases. Reasons for its rapid global spread were the highly contagious nature of the virus with its air-borne route of infection, the busy links between affected countries, and probably inadequacies in international quarantine procedures. As shown in Tables 1 and 2, although none of the six patients were eventually diagnosed wild SARS, this observed phenomenon disclosed a very important loophole in the control aspect of international quarantine procedures: the inability to prevent persons with a highly contagious virus from slipping past undetected and thus preventing the further spread of epidemics like SARS on international travel routes. In this study, we identified that there were loopholes in the international quarantine system for controlling the international spread of contagious disease like SARS, especially when travelers lack a strong motivation to cooperate with national health authorities.

abstract:
  This study describes a loophole in the international quarantine system during the recent Asian severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Specifically, that of travelers disguising symptoms of respiratory tract infection at international airports, in order to board aircraft to return to their home countries—notwithstanding the infection risks this involves to others. High medical fees for treatment to non-residents in epidemic areas were found to be the main cause for this behaviour. This phenomenon revealed a loophole in the control mechanisms of international quarantine procedures, letting travelers carrying a highly contagious virus slip by undetected and causing possible multi-country outbreaks of communicable diseases. Clinical evidence collected from medical records at medical centers can highlight this oversight.


id: cord-286014-cc99e24x
author: Jang, T.-N
date: 2003-11-05
txt: ./txt/cord-286014-cc99e24x.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-286014-cc99e24x.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0163445303001804
doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2003.09.004
summary:
  To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The first probable SARS patient in Taiwan returned from China via Hong Kong early in the global outbreak in February 2003. 7 We analyse the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of patients with probable SARS who were seen at the Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital (SKMH) in Taipei, Taiwan. 16 In our study, SARS-associated coronavirus RNA was detected in oropharyngeal swabs by RT-PCR in 16 (55.1%) of 29 patients at initial presentation. Case definitions for surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) A cluster of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong Severe acute respiratory syndrome in Singapore: clinical features of index patient and initial contacts Description and clinical treatment of an early outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangzhou, PR China

title:
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome in Taiwan: analysis of epidemiological characteristics in 29 cases

abstract:
  Objectives. To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Methods. Between March 28 and June 30 '2003, 29 patients with probable SARS seen at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, were analysed. Results. Presenting symptoms included fever (100%), cough (69.0%), chills or rigor (62.1%), and shortness of breath (41.4%). Mean days to defervescence were 6.8±2.9 days, but fever recurred in 15 patients (51.7%) at 10.9±3.4 days. Common laboratory features included lymphopenia (72.4%), thrombocytopenia (34.5%) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (93.1, 62.1, 44.8%, respectively). All patients except one had initial abnormal chest radiographs and 20 (69.0%) had radiological worsening at 7.5±2.6 days. Nine patients (31.0%) subsequently required mechanical ventilation with four deaths (13.8%). Most patients with clinical deterioration responded to pulse corticosteroid therapy (14 out of 17) but six complicated with nosocomial infections. The risk factors associated with severe disease were presence of diarrhoea, high peak LDH and CRP, high AST and creatine kinase on admission and high peak values. Conclusions. Prudent corticosteroid use, vigilant microbiological surveillance and appropriate antibiotics coverage are the key to successful treatment.


id: cord-286234-qiesaz5i
author: Chan, Sandra S.
date: 2011-02-28
txt: ./txt/cord-286234-qiesaz5i.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-286234-qiesaz5i.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S106474811260164X
doi: 10.1097/jgp.0b013e3181e56d0f
summary:
  Objectives 1) To compare the 2-year completed suicide and reattempt rates in a preintervention group of Hong Kong Chinese suicide attempters (aged 65 years and older) who received standard care and a postintervention group enrolled in a regional elderly suicide prevention program (ESPP) that adopts a two-tiered multifaceted care management model and 2) to examine the trend of suicide rates in older adults aged 65 years and older in the preand postintervention periods. The first part compared the 2-year suicide rates and reattempt rates of the two cohorts of older adults (aged 65 years and older) with an index suicide attempt, presenting to psychogeriatric specialist care provided by the same healthcare administration (Hospital Authority of Hong Kong) in two consecutive time frames. The ESPPs two-tiered multifaceted care management model was associated with a reduced rate of completed suicide in a high-risk group of old-age suicide attempters.

title:
  Outcomes of a Two-Tiered Multifaceted Elderly Suicide Prevention Program in a Hong Kong Chinese Community

abstract:
  Objectives 1) To compare the 2-year completed suicide and reattempt rates in a preintervention group of Hong Kong Chinese suicide attempters (aged 65 years and older) who received standard care and a postintervention group enrolled in a regional elderly suicide prevention program (ESPP) that adopts a two-tiered multifaceted care management model and 2) to examine the trend of suicide rates in older adults aged 65 years and older in the pre- and postintervention periods. Design The first part is an observational cohort study with baseline, follow-up, and outcome data being identified from a clinical electronic registry. The second part examines changes in suicide rates from official mortality statistics. Setting A government-funded suicide intervention program serving catchment population (852,796 people aged 65 years and older) in Hong Kong, China. Participants Suicide attempters (aged 65 years and older) presenting to old-age psychiatric service in the pre- and postintervention phases. Measurements 1) Two-year rates of completed suicide and suicide reattempt and 2) changes in population suicide rates in the pre- and postintervention periods. Results The 2-year completed suicide rate was 7.58% in the preintervention group (N = 66) and 1.99$% in the ESPP group (N = 351) χ2 = 6.192; p value: 0.028; df = 1). Reattempt rates were not different. At a population level, suicide rate dropped significantly only in women aged 85 years and older, relative to the preintervention period. Conclusions The ESPP was associated with a reduced rate of completed suicide in old-age suicide attempters and might have contributed to a fall of suicide rate in women aged 85 years and older.


id: cord-286705-biundkbv
title: Protests in Hong Kong (2019–2020): a Perspective Based on Quality of Life and Well-Being
author: Shek, Daniel T. L.
date: 2020-03-13
txt: ./txt/cord-286705-biundkbv.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-286705-biundkbv.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-020-09825-2
doi: 10.1007/s11482-020-09825-2
summary:
  These issues included distrust in the Central Government, lack of national identity, political dissatisfaction, economic strains, mental health threats, drop in family quality of life, lack of life skills education, lack of evidence-based national education in the formal curriculum, slow response of the Government, and alleged excessive use of force by the police. These include the personal system (e.g., threat to freedom and finding life meaning through involvement in a "revolution"), interpersonal system (e.g., peer influence and bonding amongst peer protesters), family system (e.g., lack of family warmth), social system (e.g., sensational social media influence), and political system (e.g., lack of trust in the Government and support for protesters from bodies outside Hong Kong). In this paper, we treat the quality of life and well-being issues as "fuels", the Extradition Bill as "heat", and some contextual influences (such as support from the general public for young people''s involvement in protests) as "oxygen".

abstract:
  Triggered by the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Hong Kong (Extradition Bill), many protests have taken place in Hong Kong in 2019–2020. Using a perspective based on quality of life and well-being in different ecological systems, it is argued that the process of introducing the Bill is the “heat” which has ignited the “fuels” represented by 12 pre-existing and new issues in quality of life and well-being. These issues included distrust in the Central Government, lack of national identity, political dissatisfaction, economic strains, mental health threats, drop in family quality of life, lack of life skills education, lack of evidence-based national education in the formal curriculum, slow response of the Government, and alleged excessive use of force by the police. The fire has been intensified by “four strong winds”, including disinformation and misinformation, anonymity of the protesters, public support for the students, and support given by parties outside Hong Kong. Possible solutions in terms of promotion of quality of life and well-being with reference to the fire triangle are discussed.


id: cord-288219-bwsw9nlr
title: Knowledge of inter-facility transport among emergency nurses in Hong Kong: A questionnaire survey
author: Yeung, K.L.
date: 2008-06-12
txt: ./txt/cord-288219-bwsw9nlr.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-288219-bwsw9nlr.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2008.05.001
doi: 10.1016/j.ienj.2008.05.001
summary:
  INTRODUCTION: Inter-facility transport (IFT) is a dynamic process and its quality largely depends on pre-transport preparation, emergency equipment support and recognition of possible en route adverse events. Measured outcomes were defined as (1) relationships between clinical experience and relevant training in IFT with questionnaire results, (2) staff knowledge of the equipment carried routinely in ambulances and (3) the en route adverse events encountered according to the participants'' past experience. IFT with questionnaire results, (2) staff knowledge of the equipment carried routinely in ambulances and (3) the en route adverse events encountered according to the participants'' past experience. The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge levels of inter-facility transport among registered nurses of the AEDs in the eastern New Territories of Hong Kong, with special emphasis on equipment preparation and management of en route adverse events.

abstract:
  INTRODUCTION: Inter-facility transport (IFT) is a dynamic process and its quality largely depends on pre-transport preparation, emergency equipment support and recognition of possible en route adverse events. This study aims to evaluate knowledge of IFT among emergency nurses of three Accident and Emergency Departments in Hong Kong. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to registered nurses of the three departments. Data was sought on participants’ characteristics, knowledge on equipment preparation and management of en route adverse events. Four clinical IFT scenarios were set for participants and answers were scored. Measured outcomes were defined as (1) relationships between clinical experience and relevant training in IFT with questionnaire results, (2) staff knowledge of the equipment carried routinely in ambulances and (3) the en route adverse events encountered according to the participants’ past experience. RESULTS: Participants’ test scores ranged from 24 to 37 (out of 40) with a mean of 30.6 (95% confidence interval 29.7–31.5). Participants with more clinical experience demonstrated significantly better test scores (p < 0.05). Most participants were familiar with the monitoring devices carried in ambulances but were less familiar with the pharmacologic agents and airway devices available routinely in Hong Kong ambulances. Thirty participants (59%) had encountered en route adverse events in the past. CONCLUSION: Nurses in emergency departments in Hong Kong have good knowledge of IFT. Extensive clinical experience is related to better IFT knowledge. IFT training for nurses should emphasize available ambulance service resources and capabilities.


id: cord-288698-3e44z9p0
title: The economic strategy for the Hong Kong SAR: Evidence from productivity and cost analysis
author: Li, Kui-Wai
date: 2005-08-31
txt: ./txt/cord-288698-3e44z9p0.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-288698-3e44z9p0.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104900780500103X
doi: 10.1016/j.asieco.2005.06.008
summary:
  Abstract By using a growth accounting framework for the period 1980–2000, this paper estimates Hong Kong''s total factor productivity and unit labor cost of twenty industries classified into three economic sectors of tradable goods, tradable services and non-tradable services. This paper expanded the data used in Imai (2001) and followed the classification of economic sectors used in Wong and Tao (2000) , and extended the empirical analysis by comparing total factor productivity (TFP) with unlit labor cost analysis. With the exception of mining and quarrying that occupied only a small portion of GDP, individual industries that showed a positive geometric percentage growth in unit labor cost belong mainly to the non-tradable services (construction; community, social and personal services; real estate; restaurant and wholesale) and some tradable services (insurance; land transport; other transport services; business services and financing).

abstract:
  Abstract By using a growth accounting framework for the period 1980–2000, this paper estimates Hong Kong's total factor productivity and unit labor cost of twenty industries classified into three economic sectors of tradable goods, tradable services and non-tradable services. The results show that Hong Kong's total factor productivity has fallen in the 1990s. The competitiveness of the three sectors of tradable goods, tradable services and non-tradable services has increased, remained unchanged and declined, respectively in the last two decades. Policy recommendation for Hong Kong will be to aim for a supply-drive strategy so as to broaden the economic base.


id: cord-290068-s1gdbsfx
title: Clinical presentations and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome in children
author: Hon, KLE
date: 2003-05-17
txt: ./txt/cord-290068-s1gdbsfx.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-290068-s1gdbsfx.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673603133648
doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13364-8
summary:
  title: Clinical presentations and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome in children In addition, we treated patients who had moderate symptoms of high fluctuating fever and notable malaise with intravenous ribavirin (20 mg/kg daily, given in three doses) and hydrocortisone (2 mg/kg every 6 h) immediately after admission. Lymphopenia (0·3-3·0ϫ10 9 /L) was reported in all patients, but the teenagers were generally more severely affected than the younger children. 2, 3 Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent and has been used for treatment of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in We noted two distinct patterns of clinical presentation among the children we studied. On this basis, we did an open-label study in which oral gabapentin 300 mg thrice daily was given for every other chemotherapy treatment in nine patients with breast cancer. The patient reported severe nausea after the first two chemotherapy treatments.

abstract:
  Hong Kong has been severely affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Contact in households and healthcare settings is thought to be important for transmission, putting children at particular risk. Most data so far, however, have been for adults. We prospectively followed up the first ten children with SARS managed during the early phase of the epidemic in Hong Kong. All the children had been in close contact with infected adults. Persistent fever, cough, progressive radiographic changes of chest and lymphopenia were noted in all patients. The children were treated with high-dose ribavirin, oral prednisolone, or intravenous methylprednisolone, with no short-term adverse effects. Four teenagers required oxygen therapy and two needed assisted ventilation. None of the younger children required oxygen supplementation. Compared with adults and teenagers, SARS seems to have a less aggressive clinical course in younger children.


id: cord-290352-0pc5eji4
title: Avian influenza A (H5N1)
author: de Jong, Menno D.
date: 2005-10-06
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16213784/
doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2005.09.002
abstract:
  Since their reemergence in 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have reached endemic levels among poultry in several southeast Asian countries and have caused a still increasing number of more than 100 reported human infections with high mortality. These developments have ignited global fears of an imminent influenza pandemic. The current knowledge of the virology, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment of human influenza H5N1 virus infections is reviewed herein.


id: cord-290690-53t7df81
title: Life in Times of COVID‐19
author: Roberts, David J.
date: 2020-05-13
txt: ./txt/cord-290690-53t7df81.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-290690-53t7df81.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1111/tme.12688
doi: 10.1111/tme.12688
abstract: nan
summary:
  The articles by CK Lee from Hong Kong 2 and Dana Devine 3 from Canada describe how blood services in two very different epidemiological settings responded to the epidemic. However, the measures implemented for SARS in Hong Kong in 2003, namely social distancing, use of personal protective equipment and screening of donors, laid the foundation for many blood services'' response to this current epidemic. Similarly, the methods developed by Dr Lee in the SARS epidemic in 2002 described in this issue, have enable Hong Kong to maintain the blood supply in this COVID-19 pandemic and have been shared by webinar and have helped many blood services cope with the current crisis (https://education.isbtweb.org/isbt/#!*menu=8*browseby=8*sortby=2*label=19776) (Accessed 1st May 2020). Perhaps the wider lesson from the experience of Hong Kong and Canada was that very real threat posed by SARS in 2003 prompted improved pandemic planning.


id: cord-290965-7qs4w9xh
author: Kwok, W. C.
date: 2020-11-03
txt: ./txt/cord-290965-7qs4w9xh.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-290965-7qs4w9xh.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.29.20222190
doi: 10.1101/2020.10.29.20222190
summary:
  Method: A novel metapopulation Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model with inspected migration was applied to investigate the effect of border restriction between Hong Kong and mainland China on the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. A novel metapopulation SEIR model with inspected migration was developed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, Guangdong and the rest of China (excluding Hubei) in the presence or absence of border restriction. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.29.20222190 doi: medRxiv preprint To date, there is inadequate scientific data to support border restriction as a public health measure to limit local outbreak of an emerging infectious disease in the presence of an established local transmission. In this study, a novel metapopulation SEIR model with inspected migration was applied to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, Guangdong and the rest of China (excluding Hubei) in the presence or absence of border restriction.

title:
  Border Restriction as a Public Health Measureto Limit Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

abstract:
  Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to pandemic that affected almost all countries in the world. Many countries have implemented border restriction as a public health measure to limit local outbreak. However, there is inadequate scientific data to support such a practice, especially in the presence of an established local transmission of the disease. Method: A novel metapopulation Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model with inspected migration was applied to investigate the effect of border restriction between Hong Kong and mainland China on the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Isolation facilities occupancy was also studied. Results: At R0 of 2.2, the cumulative COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong can be reduced by 13.99% (from 29,163 to 25,084) with complete border closure. At an in-patient mortality of 1.4%, the number of deaths can be reduced from 408 to 351 (57 lives saved). However, border closure alone was insufficient to prevent full occupancy of isolation facilities in Hong Kong; effective public health measures to reduce local R0 to below 1.6 was necessary. Conclusion: As a public health measure to tackle COVID-19, border restriction is effective in reducing cumulative cases and mortality.


id: cord-293403-o1i999hy
title: E-health in the East Asian tigers
author: Holliday, Ian
date: 2004-09-11
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S1386505604001807
doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2004.08.001
abstract:
  OBJECTIVE: The article analyzes e-health progress in East Asia's leading tiger economies: Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. It describes five main dimensions of e-health provision in the tigers: policymaking, regulation, provision, funding and physician-patient relations. METHODS: We conducted a series of fieldwork interviews and analyzed key healthcare websites. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Our main finding is that the development of e-health in the region is less advanced than might be expected. Our explanation focuses on institutional, cultural and financial factors.


id: cord-293858-dk4snw9r
author: Yang, Lin
date: 2019-02-14
txt: ./txt/cord-293858-dk4snw9r.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-293858-dk4snw9r.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30764779/
doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3735-7
summary:
  Annual excess rates of mortality or hospitalization associated with influenza in the older population were estimated for the pre-SARS (reference period), post-SARS and post-pandemic period, respectively. We constructed time series segmented regression models to estimate cause-specific mortality or hospitalization risks associated with influenza in the older population during the pre-SARS, post-SARS, and post-pandemic periods for Hong Kong and Brisbane. Compared to Hong Kong, during the study period Brisbane had higher mortality rates for all-cause (81.7 vs 66.5 per 100,000 population), cardiorespiratory diseases (CRD, 42.1 vs 33.8), stroke (9.5 vs 6.5) and ischemic heart diseases (IHD, 17.0 vs 7.5), but a lower rate for pneumonia and influenza (P&I, 2.8 vs 9.9), and a comparable rate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 3.9 vs 4.2) (Additional file 1: Appendix 3). In this study, we estimated excess rates of mortality or hospitalizations attributable to influenza in different periods (pre-SARS, post-SARS, and post-pandemic) for two subtropical cities Hong Kong and Brisbane.

title:
  Comparison of influenza disease burden in older populations of Hong Kong and Brisbane: the impact of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake in the older population aged 65 years or over of Hong Kong dramatically increased since the 2003 SARS outbreak. This study is aimed to evaluate the impact of increased coverage of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines by comparing the change of disease burden in the older population of Hong Kong, with the burden in the older population of Brisbane with relatively high vaccine coverage in the past fifteen years. METHODS: Time series segmented regression models were applied to weekly numbers of cause-specific mortality or hospitalization of Hong Kong and Brisbane. Annual excess rates of mortality or hospitalization associated with influenza in the older population were estimated for the pre-SARS (reference period), post-SARS and post-pandemic period, respectively. The rate ratios (RRs) between these periods were also calculated to assess the relative change of disease burden. RESULTS: Compared to the pre-SARS period, excess rates of mortality associated with influenza during the post-SARS period in Hong Kong decreased for cardiorespiratory diseases (RR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.80, 1.01), stroke (RR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.50, 1.09), and ischemic heart diseases (RR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.34, 0.58). The corresponding RRs in Brisbane were 0.79 (95% CI 0.54, 1.15), 0.33 (0.13, 0.80), and 1.09 (0.62, 1.90), respectively. Only the mortality of ischemic heart diseases showed a greater reduction in Hong Kong than in Brisbane. During the post-pandemic period, excess rates of all-cause mortality increased in Hong Kong, but to a lesser extent than in Brisbane (RR = 1.41 vs 2.39). CONCLUSION: A relative decrease (or less of an increase) of influenza disease burden was observed in the older population of Hong Kong after increased coverage of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in this population, as compared to those of Brisbane where vaccination rates remained stable. The lack of significant findings in some disease categories highlights the challenges of evaluating the benefits of vaccination at the population level. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-019-3735-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


id: cord-294237-6hovffso
title: SARS: The First Pandemic of the 21(st) Century
author: Cherry, James D
date: 2004
txt: ./txt/cord-294237-6hovffso.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-294237-6hovffso.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15152053/
doi: 10.1203/01.pdr.0000129184.87042.fc
abstract: nan
summary:
  SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was a new disease in the fall of 2002, which first occurred in Guangdong Province, China and spread to 29 countries with 8422 cases and 916 fatalities (1) (2) (3) . Moreover, cataloging the genome from human cases assisted in the search for the origin of this disease, when viruses related to the SARS-CoV were identified in animals [Himalayan palm civets (Paguma larvata) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)] in a live animal market in Shenzhen, China (12) . On the one hand, in the initial phases of the spread of SARS in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto, a disproportionate number of health care workers became ill and apparent "superspreader" cases were noted (2-4, 6, 11, 14 -18) . Outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) at Amoy Gardens, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, main findings of the investigation Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Singapore: clinical features of index patient and initial contacts Severe acute respiratory syndrome in children: experience in a regional hospital in Hong Kong


id: cord-297326-n0fpu8s3
title: New coronavirus outbreak. Lessons learned from the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic
author: ÁLVAREZ, E.
date: 2015-01-16
txt: ./txt/cord-297326-n0fpu8s3.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-297326-n0fpu8s3.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25591619/
doi: 10.1017/s095026881400377x
summary:
  Here, we develop a model that explains the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) epidemic that occurred in Hong Kong in 2003. These equations involve three stocks (SUSCEPTIBLE, LATENT, INFECTED), three auxiliary variables (prevalence, contagion rate, recovery rate) and three parameters (incubation period, case fatality, disease duration). The simulation output for the variable ''sick per day'' fit the data reported by the Hong Kong authorities (Fig. 4a) , suggesting that the model was able to reproduce the epidemic curve. These results are consistent with a previous report showing the basic reproductive numbers for different SARS epidemic curves, which supports the notion that our model is able to largely replicate the disease outbreak in Hong Kong [31] . Under these conditions, the model output fits the epidemic curve observed in the Hong Kong SARS-CoV outbreak (Fig. 4) .

abstract:
  System dynamics approach offers great potential for addressing how intervention policies can affect the spread of emerging infectious diseases in complex and highly networked systems. Here, we develop a model that explains the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) epidemic that occurred in Hong Kong in 2003. The dynamic model developed with system dynamics methodology included 23 variables (five states, four flows, eight auxiliary variables, six parameters), five differential equations and 12 algebraic equations. The parameters were optimized following an iterative process of simulation to fit the real data from the epidemics. Univariate and multivariate sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the reliability of the model. In addition, we discuss how further testing using this model can inform community interventions to reduce the risk in current and future outbreaks, such as the recently Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic.


id: cord-297618-9ka3y2y1
title: Construction of the Infection Curve of Local Cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong using Back-Projection
author: Chau, Pui Hing
date: 2020-09-21
txt: ./txt/cord-297618-9ka3y2y1.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-297618-9ka3y2y1.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186909
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186909
summary:
  The current study constructed an epidemic curve based on the date of infection estimated by the back-projection method to minimize the effects of the incubation time and reflect the possible impacts of various measures and events better. Our objective was to estimate the infection curve of the local cases of the first two waves of COVID-19 in Hong Kong using the back-projection method and explore the effectiveness of the preventive measures, including the possible impacts of the pre-implementation announcements by the local government. From 25 to 29 January 2020, numerous policies were announced and implemented, including activation of the Emergency Response Level, cancellation of large-scale events, quarantine of close contacts of confirmed cases, health advice to residents returning from the Hubei province and other parts of China, suspension of non-emergent government services, closure of public facilities, home office arrangement for civil servants, and substantial reduction of traffic between Mainland China and Hong Kong.

abstract:
  This study aimed to estimate the infection curve of local cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hong Kong and identify major events and preventive measures associated with the trajectory of the infection curve in the first two waves. The daily number of onset local cases was used to estimate the daily number of infections based on back-projection. The estimated infection curve was examined to identify the preventive measures or major events associated with its trajectory. Until 30 April 2020, there were 422 confirmed local cases. The infection curve of the local cases in Hong Kong was constructed and used for evaluating the impacts of various policies and events in a narrative manner. Social gatherings and some pre-implementation announcements on inbound traveler policies coincided with peaks on the infection curve.


id: cord-299464-rrxgr909
title: Collectivism and activism in housing management in Hong Kong
author: Yau, Yung
date: 2010-12-09
txt: ./txt/cord-299464-rrxgr909.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-299464-rrxgr909.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32287696/
doi: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2010.11.006
summary:
  Building on the wide-ranging applications of the collective interest model (CIM) in explaining political participation and environmental activism, this paper expands its relevance to the arena of housing management. In brief, housing management activism is a function of beliefs about personal and group efficacy, the value of the collective good, and the selective benefits and costs of participation. The phenomenon of homeowner participation in housing management in Hong Kong provides an excellent laboratory for the study of such collective action behaviour. An empirical study is carried out in Hong Kong''s private multi-family residential buildings using the CIM, which was developed based on Olson''s (1965) logic of collective action. In investigating the dilemma of collective action among homeowners, this article uses the CIM to investigate the benefit-cost expectations associated with participation in the management of apartment buildings in Hong Kong.

abstract:
  Management of apartment buildings is never straightforward because of the need for collective homeowner action. Mancur Olson suggests that a rational individual will not participate in collective action which provides no positive net benefit for him or her. Based on this premise, it would seem that rationality drives homeowners to free-ride on others’ efforts and that, as a result, no collective action will take place. However, some homeowners do actively participate in housing management, and it is worthwhile to examine why some participate and others do not. Building on the wide-ranging applications of the collective interest model (CIM) in explaining political participation and environmental activism, this paper expands its relevance to the arena of housing management. The explanatory analysis which is based on the findings of a structured questionnaire survey in Hong Kong corroborates the central propositions of the CIM and provides a theoretical account of housing management activism. In brief, housing management activism is a function of beliefs about personal and group efficacy, the value of the collective good, and the selective benefits and costs of participation. These findings have far-reaching implications for the formulation of government policies promoting homeowners’ active involvement in housing management in Hong Kong and other megacities.


id: cord-301418-tj70iv4v
title: Examining structural changes in Asian offices market
author: Hui, Eddie Chi Man
date: 2012-12-27
txt: ./txt/cord-301418-tj70iv4v.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-301418-tj70iv4v.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0264837712002426
doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.11.012
summary:
  Based on this innovative technique, we not only could detect the abrupt change points with a comparatively small data sample, but also could evaluate the impact from the abrupt change points by reconstructing the wavelet coefficient/de-noising the raw data, which had never been considered in previous studies of office markets. (2004) and Donoho and Johnstone (1994) , of wavelet change point detection and wavelet coefficient reconstruction techniques to study the office indices of four renowned Asian cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. (2010a,b) presented a new abrupt change point detection method -a wavelet analysis on Hong Kong''s residential real estate market. As our objective is to investigate change points in the real estate office markets, consider the following non-parametric model introduced by Ip et al. On utilizing the non-parametric change point method-wavelet analysis, the data for each office real estate market was transformed to wavelet coefficient.

abstract:
  It is complicated to measure the effects of various economic events on office markets within a non-parameter modeling framework. In response to this issue, a non-parametric statistical method-wavelet analysis is introduced in this study. Based on this innovative technique, we not only could detect the abrupt change points with a comparatively small data sample, but also could evaluate the impact from the abrupt change points by reconstructing the wavelet coefficient/de-noising the raw data, which had never been considered in previous studies of office markets. Our empirical results suggest that the wavelet reconstruction method, to some extent, makes it easier for the detection of the existence of structural change points. More interestingly, our findings also indicate that free market economies (i.e. Hong Kong and Singapore) are mainly influenced by the effects of global events, whereas the actual (net) impact on socialist economies (i.e. Beijing and Shanghai), depends on both the openness of the economies, and the magnitude of counter domestic forces put in place.


id: cord-306014-tjnt01ld
author: Argyroudis, George S.
date: 2019-06-15
txt: ./txt/cord-306014-tjnt01ld.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-306014-tjnt01ld.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2019.04.052
doi: 10.1016/j.physa.2019.04.052
summary:
  Based on permutation entropy, complexity–entropy causality plane and Tsallis complexity–entropy curve, we characterize the complexity of the housing indices-both in terms of size and region-and distinguish the level of informational efficiency. We start our analysis by presenting in Fig. 1, panel (a) and (b), the Shannon Complexity-Entropy Causality Plane (CECP) for all Real Estate indices in Hong Kong, partitioned by size and location. In order to compare the results, derived by the symbolic permutation entropy, with the Hurst exponent h, we generate a time series with the use of the fractional Brownian motion. In all cases but one, the indices, measured in terms of size and region, exhibit lower permutation entropy and higher complexity, meaning that the financial crisis event affected the dynamical structure of the indices, increasing their regularity and predictability. But the Kowloon index quantifiers exhibit higher permutation entropy value denoting greater informational efficiency or less regularity and loss of complexity.

title:
  Spillover effects of Great Recession on Hong-Kong’s Real Estate Market: An analysis based on Causality Plane and Tsallis Curves of Complexity–Entropy

abstract:
  This paper investigates the impact of the sub-prime loan crisis on the Real Estate Market of Hong-Kong. Based on permutation entropy, complexity–entropy causality plane and Tsallis complexity–entropy curve, we characterize the complexity of the housing indices-both in terms of size and region-and distinguish the level of informational efficiency. By calculating the quantifiers we report that most indices exhibit a behavior equivalent to a persistent stochastic dynamics with Hurst exponents between 0.5 and 0.7. The outbreak of the crisis had changed the dynamical structure of the indices decreasing the level of randomness and increasing considerably their regularity and predictability. Only the index of the Kowloon area seems not impacted by the crisis, exhibiting higher levels of informational efficiency. The results are robust based on the utilization of two different entropy definitions: The Shannon and Tsallis-q entropy. Lastly, with the temporal evolution of the indices, we identify periods where the underlying dynamical structure of the market was impacted by certain events like the SARS epidemic and the imposition of Special Stamp Duty on housing.


id: cord-307307-b5yl88mh
author: Lau, Joseph TF
date: 2010-05-28
txt: ./txt/cord-307307-b5yl88mh.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-307307-b5yl88mh.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-10-139
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-139
summary:
  This study investigated whether the general population in Hong Kong avoided visiting different places (going out, visiting crowded places and visiting hospitals) and assessed some negative psychological responses to H1N1, including whether people were much worried about contracting H1N1 and their level of emotional distress (panicking, depression or emotional disturbance) due to H1N1. Factors in association with the outcome variables on avoidance behaviors and negative psychological responses were investigated, including variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, confirmed knowledge and unconfirmed beliefs about modes of H1N1 transmission, evaluation towards governmental preparedness/ performance, perceived availability of treatment, and risk perception (perceived severity and susceptibility related to H1N1). Females, older respondents, those with >= 1 unconfirmed beliefs about modes of H1N1 transmission, those who knew that H1N1 could be transmitted ''via droplets'', ''bodily contact with infected person'' or ''touching contaminated objects'', those who were very worried that either they or their family members would contract H1N1, those expressing emotional distress (in panic or feeling very depressed or being highly emotionally disturbed due to H1N1) were more likely than others to avoid visiting crowded places (multivariate OR = 1.42 to 3.90, p < .05; Table 4 ).

title:
  Avoidance behaviors and negative psychological responses in the general population in the initial stage of the H1N1 pandemic in Hong Kong

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: During the SARS pandemic in Hong Kong, panic and worry were prevalent in the community and the general public avoided staying in public areas. Such avoidance behaviors could greatly impact daily routines of the community and the local economy. This study examined the prevalence of the avoidance behaviors (i.e. avoiding going out, visiting crowded places and visiting hospitals) and negative psychological responses of the general population in Hong Kong at the initial stage of the H1N1 epidemic. METHODS: A sample of 999 respondents was recruited in a population-based survey. Using random telephone numbers, respondents completed a structured questionnaire by telephone interviews at the 'pre-community spread phase' of the H1N1 epidemic in Hong Kong. RESULTS: This study found that 76.5% of the respondents currently avoided going out or visiting crowded places or hospitals, whilst 15% felt much worried about contracting H1N1 and 6% showed signs of emotional distress. Females, older respondents, those having unconfirmed beliefs about modes of transmissions, and those feeling worried and emotionally distressed due to H1N1 outbreak were more likely than others to adopt some avoidance behaviors. Those who perceived high severity and susceptibility of getting H1N1 and doubted the adequacy of governmental preparedness were more likely than others to feel emotionally distressed. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of avoidance behaviors was very high. Cognitions, including unconfirmed beliefs about modes of transmission, perceived severity and susceptibility were associated with some of the avoidance behaviors and emotional distress variables. Public health education should therefore provide clear messages to rectify relevant perceptions.


id: cord-307490-b4un4703
author: Chan, Sophia S.C.
date: 2007-09-30
txt: ./txt/cord-307490-b4un4703.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-307490-b4un4703.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16857203/
doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.04.019
summary:
  title: Improving older adults'' knowledge and practice of preventive measures through a telephone health education during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong: A pilot study Objectives To assess the effectiveness of delivering a telephone health education programme dealing with anxiety levels, and knowledge and practice of measures to prevent transmission of SARS among a group of older adults with low SES. This is the first systematic study to assess the effectiveness of delivering telephone health education to older adults during the outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong. Results of the study supported that telephone health education was effective in relieving anxiety and improving knowledge of the main transmission routes of SARS in older adults, but not fostering practice of preventing SARS. This is the first systematic study to assess the effectiveness of telephone health education in improving older adults'' knowledge and practice of preventive measures during the SARS epidemic.

title:
  Improving older adults’ knowledge and practice of preventive measures through a telephone health education during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong: A pilot study

abstract:
  Abstract Background The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong posed many challenges for health promotion activities among a group of older adults with low socio-economic status (SES). With concerns that this vulnerable group could be at higher risk of contracting the disease or spreading it to others, the implementation of health promotion activities appropriate to this group was considered to be essential during the epidemic. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of delivering a telephone health education programme dealing with anxiety levels, and knowledge and practice of measures to prevent transmission of SARS among a group of older adults with low SES. Design Pretest/posttest design. Settings Subjects were recruited from registered members of a government subsidized social service center in Hong Kong and living in low-cost housing estates. Participants The eligibility criteria were: (1) aged 55 or above; (2) able to speak Cantonese; (3) no hearing impairment, and (4) reachable by telephone. Of the 295 eligible subjects, 122 older adults completed the whole study. Methods The interviewers approached all eligible subjects by telephone during the period of 15–25 May 2003. After obtaining the participants’ verbal consent, the interviewer collected baseline data by use of a questionnaire and implemented a health education programme. A follow-up telephone call was made a week later using the same questionnaire. Results The level of anxiety was lowered (t=3.28, p<0.001), and knowledge regarding the transmission routes of droplets (p<0.001) and urine and feaces (p<0.01) were improved after the intervention. Although statistical significant difference was found in the practice of identified preventive measures before and after intervention, influence on behavioral changes needed further exploration. Conclusion The telephone health education seemed to be effective in relieving anxiety and improving knowledge of the main transmission routes of SARS in this group, but not the practice of preventing SARS. Telephone contact appears to be a practical way of providing health education to vulnerable groups when face-to-face measure is not feasible and may be useful in raising health awareness during future outbreaks of emerging infections.


id: cord-309268-sig0h723
author: Yeung, May PS
date: 2015-07-07
txt: ./txt/cord-309268-sig0h723.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-309268-sig0h723.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26148496/
doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1990-0
summary:
  title: Factors associated with uptake of influenza vaccine in people aged 50 to 64 years in Hong Kong: a case–control study This study investigates the factors associated with the uptake of influenza vaccination among adults in Hong Kong aged 50–64 years. This study aimed to find out which factors were associated with the low uptake of influenza vaccination among people aged 50-64 years in Hong Kong. The hypothesis of this study was there were differences in associated factors (variables) between those Hong Kong residents aged 50-64 years who received the influenza vaccine in 2011/12 and 2012/13, and those who did not. The majority of the cases (80.8 %) and controls (93.9 %) were not aware that they were in a group recommended by the health authority to receive influenza vaccination.

title:
  Factors associated with uptake of influenza vaccine in people aged 50 to 64 years in Hong Kong: a case–control study

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: In Hong Kong, people aged 50–64 years were added as a recommended priority group (recommended group) for influenza vaccination by the Department of Health (DH) starting from 2011/12 onwards. The coverage rate of influenza vaccination for this age group was suboptimal at 8.5 % in 2012/13. This study investigates the factors associated with the uptake of influenza vaccination among adults in Hong Kong aged 50–64 years. METHODS: A case–control study was conducted in communities by street intercept interviews from 17 July to 15 August 2013. Cases were adults aged 50–64 years who had received the influenza vaccine in 2011/12 or 2012/13, while controls were the same as the cases, except they had not received the influenza vaccine in 2011/12 or 2012/13. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed on the data to explore the associations between vaccination status and the variables. RESULTS: Six hundred and four respondents in total were interviewed and included in the analysis. There were 193 cases (vaccinated) and 411 controls (non-vaccinated), with a case-to-control ratio of 1:2.1. The following were strongly associated with vaccination compared to other factors: ‘eligible for free government vaccine’ (OR6.38, 95 % CI, 3.43-11.87, p < 0.001); ‘willing to receive flu vaccination for free’ (OR4.84, 95 % CI, 2.13-11.03, p < 0.001); ‘perceived having severe or moderate symptoms when contracting flu’ (OR2.90, 95 % CI, 1.21-6.97, p = 0.02), and ‘convenient to reach a vaccination location’ (OR2.87, 95 % CI, 1.06-7.74, p = 0.04). The majority of the cases (80.8 %) and controls (93.9 %) were not aware that they belonged to a recommended group for influenza vaccination and most (>80 %) were willing to be vaccinated if it was free. CONCLUSIONS: Factors related to free and convenient vaccination, the perception of the severity of symptoms when contracting influenza had a comparatively strong association with influenza vaccination uptake amongst 50–64 year olds, compared to other factors.


id: cord-310337-vw4cno4p
author: Du, Yaxing
date: 2018-08-04
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.08.001
doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2018.08.001
title:
  Improving pedestrian level low wind velocity environment in high-density cities: A general framework and case study

abstract:
  An acceptable pedestrian level wind environment is essential to maintain an enjoyable outdoor space for city residents. Low wind velocity environment can lead to uncomfortable outdoor thermal experience in hot and humid summer, and it is unable to remove the pollutants out of city canyons. However, the average wind velocity at pedestrian level is significantly lowered by closely spaced tall buildings in modern megacities. To improve the low wind velocity environment at pedestrian level in high-density cities, a general framework and detailed guidelines are needed. This study is the first time to develop such a framework, and provide detailed guidelines for improving pedestrian level low wind velocity environment in high-density cities. Additionally, a detailed review and summarisation of evaluation criteria and improvement measures are presented in this paper, which provide additional options for urban planners. To investigate the performance of the framework, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus was utilised as a case study. Results showed that pedestrian level wind comfort was greatly improved with the developed framework. The outcomes of this study can assist city planners to improve the low wind velocity environment, and can help policy makers to establish sustainable urban planning policies.


id: cord-310867-78cx3o29
title: Stigmatization among people living with HIV in Hong Kong: A qualitative study
author: Mo, Phoenix K. H.
date: 2017-02-14
txt: ./txt/cord-310867-78cx3o29.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-310867-78cx3o29.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28195685/
doi: 10.1111/hex.12535
summary:
  MAIN VARIABLES STUDIED: Participants were interviewed about their views and feelings towards oneself as a PLHIV and contributing factors, experiences of discriminations, stigmatizing behaviours, issues about disclosure, social relationships and potential impact of HIV. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Thematic analyses revealed three levels of factors which might be associated with stigmatization: (i) intrapersonal level (misconceptions about HIV, attribution of self‐responsibility, severe state of illness, side‐effects of medication), (ii) interpersonal level (discrimination, social rejection) and (iii) social level (mass media, public stereotypes). 45, 46 However, one local study looking at factors associated with self-stigmatization using the attribution model for PLHIV, including self-blame, responsibility for contacting HIV and internal controllability for contracting HIV, showed that although attributions of control predicted attributions of responsibility which, in turn, predicted self-blame, the linkage between self-blame and self-stigma was not significant. The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the possible factors that may contribute to internalization of stigma among PLHIV in Hong Kong using a qualitative approach.

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS is one of the most stigmatized medical conditions across the world. Self‐stigma is prevalent among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and a major obstacle to HIV prevention and care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the experiences of stigmatization and explore the possible factors that might be associated with stigmatization among PLHIV in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Qualitative in‐depth interviews were conducted. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 15 PLHIV were recruited from two local non‐governmental organizations on HIV prevention. MAIN VARIABLES STUDIED: Participants were interviewed about their views and feelings towards oneself as a PLHIV and contributing factors, experiences of discriminations, stigmatizing behaviours, issues about disclosure, social relationships and potential impact of HIV. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Thematic analyses revealed three levels of factors which might be associated with stigmatization: (i) intrapersonal level (misconceptions about HIV, attribution of self‐responsibility, severe state of illness, side‐effects of medication), (ii) interpersonal level (discrimination, social rejection) and (iii) social level (mass media, public stereotypes). Findings provide important insights into which interventions to reduce stigmatization of PLHIV could be designed.


id: cord-311026-mpr3xb2a
title: COVID-19–We urgently need to start developing an exit strategy
author: Petersen, Eskild
date: 2020-04-29
txt: ./txt/cord-311026-mpr3xb2a.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-311026-mpr3xb2a.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32360552/
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.04.035
summary:
  Another approach could be to open travel from countries with good surveillance systems, transparent reporting, and few local cases where risk of importing infected cases would be low. Thus, public health capabilities for case identification and isolation must be expanded probably permanently; tools can include physical inspection or use of electronic devices, such as mobile phone-based surveillance and point of care tests as used in Taiwan, Korea and Oman, summarized in table 3. Despite the city state''s strict contact-tracing, quarantining and travel restrictions, a second wave of infections from returning residents and local transmissions saw cases spike from 100 to 1,000 in one month (SCMP 3 rd April). This initial public health response included travel bans from countries with high levels of community transmission and 14-day mandatory quarantine for all returning travelers from those countries; school closures; cancellation of gatherings of more than 100 people; and expanding testing and isolation capacity.

abstract:
  Abstract Aim The purpose of this perspective is to review the options countries have to exit the draconian “lock downs” in a carefully staged manner. Methods Experts from different countries experiencing Corona Virus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) review evidence and country specific approaches and results of their interventions. Results Three key factors are important: 1. Reintroduction from countries with ongoing community transmission; 2. The need for extensive testing capacity and widespread community testing, and 3. Adequate supply of personal protective equipment, PPE, to protect health care workers. Lifting social distancing is discussed at length. How to open manufacturing, construction and logistics. The opening og higher educational institutions and schools. The use of electronic surveillance is discussed. Conclusion Each country has to decide what is the best path forward. However, we can learn from each other and the approach is in reality very similar.


id: cord-313900-tx3m4gu4
title: Fighting COVID-19 in Hong Kong: The effects of community and social mobilization
author: Wan, Kin-Man
date: 2020-06-25
txt: ./txt/cord-313900-tx3m4gu4.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-313900-tx3m4gu4.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X20301819?v=s5
doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105055
summary:
  Considering the limited actions that the government has taken against the pandemic, we emphasize the prominent role of Hong Kong''s civil society through highlighting the strong and spontaneous mobilization of its local communities originating from their experiences during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the social unrest in 2019, as well as their doubts regarding the pandemic assessments and recommendations of the HKSAR and WHO authorities. Paradoxically, the strong and spontaneous mobilization observed in Hong Kong was a consequence of the population''s devastating memories of the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the social unrest in 2019, as well as of their skepticism of the pandemic figures, assessments and recommendations given by the authorities of HKSAR, mainland China, and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the early stages of the pandemic (January to March), the rate of support for the Chief Executive was also recorded below 20 over 100, and less than 30% of the population trusted the government and were satisfied with the police force (Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, 2020d; Ho, 2020).

abstract:
  The globalized world economy has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since early February 2020. In the midst of this global public health crisis, a prompt review of the counterinsurgencies that have occurred in different jurisdictions is helpful. This article examines the experience of Hong Kong (HKSAR), which successfully limited its number of confirmed cases to approximately 1100 until early June 2020. Considering the limited actions that the government has taken against the pandemic, we emphasize the prominent role of Hong Kong’s civil society through highlighting the strong and spontaneous mobilization of its local communities originating from their experiences during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the social unrest in 2019, as well as their doubts regarding the pandemic assessments and recommendations of the HKSAR and WHO authorities. This article suggests that the influence of civil society should not be overlooked in the context of pandemic management. (147 words)


id: cord-314734-ai0hz4uq
author: Hung, Ivan Fan-Ngai
date: 2020-06-12
txt: ./txt/cord-314734-ai0hz4uq.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-314734-ai0hz4uq.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30364-9
doi: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30364-9
summary:
  Thus, the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined because of an onboard outbreak of COVID-19 in February, 2020, provides an opportunity to define the shedding pattern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and patient antibody responses before and after the onset of symptoms. Participants were prospectively screened by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) of nasopharyngeal and throat swabs, and serum IgG and IgM against internal nucleoprotein and the surface spike receptor-binding protein (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 at baseline (upon entering quarantine) and on days 4, 8, and 12 of quarantine. Evidence before this study We searched PubMed on March 14, 2020, with no date restrictions, for articles in English, using the terms "Covid-19", "coronavirus", "antibody", "viral load", "cruise ship", "quarantine", "shedding", and "seroconversion". By Feb 20, 2020, 76 passengers from Hong Kong were hospitalised in Japan after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by throat swab RT-PCR, of whom two individuals died from complications of the infection (appendix).

title:
  SARS-CoV-2 shedding and seroconversion among passengers quarantined after disembarking a cruise ship: a case series

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: A cruise ship is a closed-off environment that simulates the basic functioning of a city in terms of living conditions and interpersonal interactions. Thus, the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined because of an onboard outbreak of COVID-19 in February, 2020, provides an opportunity to define the shedding pattern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and patient antibody responses before and after the onset of symptoms. METHODS: We recruited adult (≥18 years) passengers from Hong Kong who had been on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan in February, 2020. All participants had been found to be negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR 4 days before disembarking and were transferred to further quarantine in a public estate in Hong Kong, where they were recruited. Participants were prospectively screened by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) of nasopharyngeal and throat swabs, and serum IgG and IgM against internal nucleoprotein and the surface spike receptor-binding protein (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 at baseline (upon entering quarantine) and on days 4, 8, and 12 of quarantine. FINDINGS: On Feb 22, 2020, 215 adults were recruited, of whom nine (4%; 95% CI 2–8) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR or serology and were hospitalised. Of these nine patients, nasopharyngeal swab RT-qPCR was positive in eight patients (89%; 57–99) at baseline. All nine patients were positive for anti-RBD IgG by day 8. Eight (89%; 57–99) were simultaneously positive for nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR and anti-RBD IgG. One patient who was positive for anti-RBD IgG and had a negative viral load had multifocal peripheral ground-glass changes on high-resolution CT that were typical of COVID-19. Five patients (56%; 27–81) with ground-glass changes on high-resolution CT were found to have higher anti-nucleoprotein-IgG OD values on day 8 and 12 and anti-RBD IgG OD value on day 12 than patients without ground-glass changes. Six (67%; 35–88) patients remained asymptomatic throughout the 14-day quarantine period. INTERPRETATION: Patients with COVID-19 can develop asymptomatic lung infection with viral shedding and those with evidence of pneumonia on imaging tend to have an increased antibody response. Positive IgG or IgM confirmed infection of COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. A combination of RT-PCR and serology should be implemented for case finding and contact tracing to facilitate early diagnosis, prompt isolation, and treatment. FUNDING: Shaw Foundation Hong Kong; Sanming-Project of Medicine (Shenzhen); High Level-Hospital Program (Guangdong Health Commission).


id: cord-318119-h0vnfcuq
author: Lee, S. H.
date: 2013-06-15
txt: ./txt/cord-318119-h0vnfcuq.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-318119-h0vnfcuq.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S036054421300340X
doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2013.04.029
summary:
  A parametric study under various ventilation rates indicated that use of desiccant cooling system in wet markets in hot and humid Hong Kong would lead to energy and energy cost savings, as well as CO2 emission reduction amounting from 1% to 13%. Energy simulation based on the site survey results (including occupancy, lighting and small power densities and occupation patterns), average space air-conditions as indoor set-point conditions (25.2 C dry-bulb and 65.8% RH), building envelop details (Table 1) , and physical geometry of the wet-market were input to EnergyPlus for simulating the annual energy use of the major equipments. The study results revealed that use of desiccant cooling system in wet markets in hot and humid Hong Kong would lead to energy, energy cost and CO 2 emission reduction up to 13% when the ventilation rate is 20 L/s/person.

title:
  Site verification and modeling of desiccant-based system as an alternative to conventional air-conditioning systems for wet markets

abstract:
  Abstract Desiccant cooling system for active humidity control and to conserve energy has been in commercial applications for over two decades. However, its use in humid wet markets has never been examined. A gas-fired desiccant cooling system has been installed in a wet market in Hong Kong. In this study, the annual energy saving in conjunction with the use of desiccant cooling system was investigated by in-situ measurements, site surveys and simulations. The verified computer model was used for further simulations. It was found that for the use of a minimum ventilation rate of 10.3 L/s/person, the use of desiccant cooling system as compared to conventional system saved 4% of the energy and could achieve the desired space conditions. A parametric study under various ventilation rates indicated that use of desiccant cooling system in wet markets in hot and humid Hong Kong would lead to energy and energy cost savings, as well as CO2 emission reduction amounting from 1% to 13%. The savings were more evident when wet markets were designed for a ventilation rate of 20 L/s/person. Furthermore, the actual occupancy profile, and lighting and small power densities determined in this study would be useful for future studies on wet market.


id: cord-321075-cvlq4i8c
title: A spatial–temporal analysis of hotels in urban tourism destination
author: Li, Mimi
date: 2014-12-11
txt: ./txt/cord-321075-cvlq4i8c.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-321075-cvlq4i8c.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278431914001753
doi: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.11.005
summary:
  This study investigates the spatial associations of urban tourism phenomena by using GIS and statistical methods to examine the relationships between hotels and land use types, attractions, transportation facilities, and the economic variables of the tertiary planning units in which the hotels are located. The current study is therefore carried out to use geographical information system (GIS) tools and statistical models to investigate the spatial associations of urban tourism phenomena by examining the spatial relationships between hotel distribution and land types, attractions, and other surrounding environmental factors in Hong Kong. According to previous studies, the main research approach used to explain location choices and spatial patterning of hotels are regression methods based on economic theory (e.g., Zhang et al., 2012; Yang et al., 2014) . This study uses binary logistic models and GIS methods and tools to investigate the spatial pattern of urban tourism, with Hong Kong as an example.

abstract:
  This study investigates the spatial associations of urban tourism phenomena by using GIS and statistical methods to examine the relationships between hotels and land use types, attractions, transportation facilities, and the economic variables of the tertiary planning units in which the hotels are located. Hong Kong is used as an example. The study first introduces the spatial characteristics of hotels and attractions development in Hong Kong. A geographical information system is then used to map hotels and investigate the characteristics of the land use, attractions, and transport facilities around hotels. The spatial relationships are then analyzed with a set of logistic regression models. The results reveal that commercial land type and the number of attractions around hotels are significantly related to the distribution of upper-grade hotels in Hong Kong. The determinants vary over time and the spatial structure changes accordingly. The analysis is important theoretically as it enriches the methodologies for analyzing the relationships between hotels and urban structure, and for conceptualizing and identifying tourism functional zones. It is important for practitioners as it provides useful information for selecting sites for hotels.


id: cord-323190-wisaamn7
author: Law, Chi-kin
date: 2012-07-06
txt: ./txt/cord-323190-wisaamn7.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-323190-wisaamn7.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-505
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-505
summary:
  title: Temporal patterns of charcoal burning suicides among the working age population in Hong Kong SAR: the influence of economic activity status and sex RESULTS: Our findings revealed pronounced monthly and daily temporal variations in the pattern of charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong. In addition to economic activity status, sex difference may also influence the temporal pattern of charcoal burning suicides. The present study aims to fill these gaps in the existing research by examining the temporal asymmetries in the monthly and daily distributions of charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong. In particular, the study will examine the temporal variations of charcoal burning suicides in relation to the economic activity status and sex of victims of usual working age (20-59). Thus, a total of 498 working men, 203 working women, 571 non-working men, and 307 non-working women were included in the analysis of the influence of economic activity status and sex on the temporal variation in charcoal burning suicides.

title:
  Temporal patterns of charcoal burning suicides among the working age population in Hong Kong SAR: the influence of economic activity status and sex

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Charcoal burning in a sealed room has recently emerged as the second most common suicide means in Hong Kong, causing approximately 200 deaths each year. As charcoal burning suicide victims have a unique sociodemographic profile (i.e., predominantly economically active men), they may commit suicide at specific times. However, little is known about the temporal patterns of charcoal burning suicides. METHODS: Suicide data from 2001 to 2008 on victims of usual working age (20–59) were obtained from the registered death files of the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong. A total of 1649 cases of charcoal burning suicide were analyzed using a two-step procedure, which first examined the temporal asymmetries in the incidence of suicide, and second investigated whether these asymmetries were influenced by sex and/or economic activity status. Poisson regression analyses were employed to model the monthly and daily patterns of suicide by economic activity status and sex. RESULTS: Our findings revealed pronounced monthly and daily temporal variations in the pattern of charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong. Consistent with previous findings on overall suicide deaths, there was an overall spring peak in April, and Monday was the common high risk day for all groups. Although sex determined the pattern of variation in charcoal burning suicides, the magnitude of the variation was influenced by the economic activity status of the victims. CONCLUSION: The traditional classification of suicide methods as either violent or nonviolent tends to elide the temporal variations of specific methods. The interaction between sex and economic activity status observed in the present study indicates that sex should be taken into consideration when investigating the influence of economic activity status on temporal variations of suicide. This finding also suggests that suicide prevention efforts should be both time- and subgroup-specific.


id: cord-323643-lu3ngt6r
title: Post-SARS infection control in the hospital and clinic
author: Chow, C.B.
date: 2004-11-05
txt: ./txt/cord-323643-lu3ngt6r.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-323643-lu3ngt6r.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S1526054204000752
doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2004.07.006
summary:
  The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak has almost mandated a re-evaluation of infection control practices in hospitals, clinics, schools and domestic environments, especially for patients with respiratory tract symptoms. PAEDIATRIC Summary The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak has almost mandated a re-evaluation of infection control practices in hospitals, clinics, schools and domestic environments, especially for patients with respiratory tract symptoms. 17 Despite great concerns, compliance to infection control precautions by community general practitioners in Hong Kong lagged behind their hospital counterparts -97.7% had not worn masks at all times, a third did not wash their hands after seeing/examining a patient and half did not wear gowns. In a study looking into factors affecting nosocomial infection in Hong Kong, it was found that all HCWs consistently used N95s or surgical masks and perceived that the inadequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, infection control training <2 h and inconsistent use of goggles, gowns, gloves and caps were significant independent risk factors for SARS infection.

abstract:
  The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak has almost mandated a re-evaluation of infection control practices in hospitals, clinics, schools and domestic environments, especially for patients with respiratory tract symptoms. Triage, early case detection followed by prompt isolation and quarantine are major preventive measures. Respiratory tract infections are the most common childhood illnesses and paediatric SARS poses special problems in diagnosis because of its non-specific presentation. The main lessons learnt from the outbreak were: (1) despite well established guidelines on infection control precautions, poor understanding of underlying principles and deficiencies in compliance are common among healthcare professionals, especially during emergencies; (2) even a slight lapse can be fatal; and (3) over-protection can be counterproductive. Hence it is important to: (1) be protected to protect others; (2) be vigilant and prepared for emerging infections; (3) be proficient and scrupulous in infection control measures; (4) be apposite and practical on personal protective equipments to ensure sustainability; and (5) be dutiful and prompt in informing of potential threats and work closely with others.


id: cord-323716-ak6zgyh1
title: Are stock and real estate markets integrated? An empirical study of six Asian economies
author: Lin, Tsoyu Calvin
date: 2011-11-30
txt: ./txt/cord-323716-ak6zgyh1.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-323716-ak6zgyh1.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X11000229
doi: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2011.05.001
summary:
  Numerous studies have explored the relationship between the stock market and the real estate market in the U.S., but results have been inconsistent, perhaps due to differences in sampling areas, sampling periods, data quality, or economic environments (Ambrose, Ancel and Griffiths, 1992; Chaudhry, Myer, and Webb, 1999; Fraser, Leishman, and Tarbert, 2002; Liow and Yang, 2005; Ling and Naranjo, 1999; Liu et al., 1990; Okunev and Wilson, 1997; Wilson, Okunev, and Ta, 1996; Wilson and Okunev, 1999) . Other economies, such as China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan do not show a cointegration relationship since the null hypothesis r = 0 is not rejected, indicating that the stock market is segmented from the real estate market in these economies. Therefore, we examined the integration relationship between the stock and real estate markets in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

abstract:
  Abstract Rising asset prices spurred by Asia's emerging economy have drawn much attention recently. This study examines one source of growth patterns in asset prices by analyzing the integration relationship between stock markets and real estate markets in Asia. Six economies are selected for empirical analysis: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Results show that stock markets are integrated with real estate markets in Japan, and partially integrated with real estate markets in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This implies that these two investment vehicles are substitutable in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan, and provide diversification potential for investment portfolios in South Korea and Singapore. Examining the timing of market changes, we found the real estate market leading the stock market in some countries, and the stock market leading the real estate market in others. We conclude that stock and real estate markets show a variety of inter-relationships depending on economic and political policy environments.


id: cord-325722-ixozph19
title: Optimal Strategies for Reducing Number of People in the Social Security System
author: Yip, Paul
date: 2020-02-18
txt: ./txt/cord-325722-ixozph19.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-325722-ixozph19.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32085532/
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041305
summary:
  The results indicate that by tailoring measures to specific subgroups, the overall number of CSSA recipients would be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of Hong Kong''s social security system, which has accounted for more than 16.5% of Hong Kong government expenditure in 2018, amounting to more than HKD 92 billion. It is important to consider whether the "entering approach" is indeed more effective than the "leaving approach" in reducing the number of CSSA recipients in Hong Kong. From these results, it seems that preventing people aged 20-29 from entering the CSSA system has a larger impact; that is, the "entering" approach would be more effective in reducing the number of CSSA recipients in 2014. The propose model provides empirical evidence to identify the potential target groups of people that would lead to the largest reduction in the number of the CSSA recipients in the Hong Kong Social Security System.

abstract:
  Providing social security to the population in need has become a major expenditure for many governments. Reducing the number of dependents in the social security system and maintaining a dynamic economically active population is a high priority concern for policymakers. A good understanding of the dynamics of the social security system—specifically, who enters and who exits the system—would be helpful for formulating effective interventions. Here, we made use of the data of Hong Kong’s Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), which is currently a basic welfare scheme in Hong Kong that provides supplementary payments to households that cannot support themselves financially. We proposed a stochastic model to examine the in- and out- movement in the CSSA scheme and conducted elasticity analyses. The elasticity analyses allowed us to identify the potential target groups of people that would lead to the largest reduction in the number of the CSSA recipients in the system. This analytical method can also reveal whether policies would be more effective in preventing people from entering the CSSA system or helping them leave the CSSA scheme. Our analyses suggest that targeting those aged 30–49 with children would have the largest impact. Additionally, we found that policies that aim to prevent this group from entering the CSSA system would be more effective in reducing the number of CSSA recipients compared with policies that aim to help them exit. In contrast, for the younger age group of 10–29, policies that help them leave CSSA would be more effective than policies that prevent them from entering CSSA. Providing employment for those unemployed in this younger group would be more effective. The results indicate that by tailoring measures to specific subgroups, the overall number of CSSA recipients would be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of Hong Kong’s social security system, which has accounted for more than 16.5% of Hong Kong government expenditure in 2018, amounting to more than HKD 92 billion.


id: cord-326339-46imi33v
author: Tang, A. C. Y.
date: 2020-07-16
url: http://medrxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.07.15.20154997v1?rss=1
doi: 10.1101/2020.07.15.20154997
title:
  Associations between Demographic Characteristics, Perceived Threat, Perceived Stress, Coping Responses and Adherence to COVID-19 Prevention Measures among Healthcare Students in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey with Implications for the Control of COVID-19

abstract:
  Objectives: To investigate the associations between demographic characteristics, perceived threat, perceived stress, coping responses and adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures in Chinese Healthcare students. Design: A cross-sectional survey collecting data in Hong Kong and Fujian Province of China. Self-administered questionnaires were collected via online platform in April 2020. Participants: A convenience and snowball sample of 2706 students aged 18 years or older and studying a healthcare programme in Hong Kong or Fujian. Setting: Students were recruited in tertiary education institutions/universities in Hong Kong and Putian (a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province). The institutions offered various healthcare programmes in degree or sub-degree levels. Main outcome measures: Compliances to social distancing and personal hygiene measures were assessed by 10-item Social Distancing Scale and 5-item Personal Hygiene Scale respectively. Path analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the compliance outcomes. Results: The participants reported high compliances to both social distancing and personal hygiene measures. Confidence to manage the current situation, wishful thinking and empathetic responding directly predicted compliance to social distancing ({beta}=-0.31, p<0.001; {beta}=0.35, p=0.015; {beta}=0.33, p<0.001 respectively) and personal hygiene measures ({beta}=-0.16, p<0.001; {beta}=0.21, p<0.001; {beta}=0.16, p<0.001 respectively). Gender, geographical location, and clinical experience were the only three demographic variables having direct and/or indirect effects on social distancing and personal hygiene measures. The final model constructed demonstrated a very good fit to the data (Chi-square X2=27.27, df=17, P=0.044; X2/df=1.61; GFI=0.998, CFI=0.997, TLI=0.992, RMSEA=0.015). Conclusions: The predictive model constructed in this study is the first one to explore factors associating with the compliance to infection control measures in healthcare students amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings suggest that students who are male, habituate in Hong Kong, have more clinical experience and weak confidence to manage the threat tend to have lower compliance to social distancing and personal hygiene measures. Wishful thinking, contrasting to previous studies, was first found to positively associate with adherence to COVID-19 control measures.


id: cord-326749-t727v0zt
author: Lee, P.
date: 2013-07-16
txt: ./txt/cord-326749-t727v0zt.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-326749-t727v0zt.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0378778813004064
doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.07.018
summary:
  This paper proposes a simulation-based method to evaluate the probability of energy saving shortfall taking into account the variations in the influential parameters, including weather conditions, occupancy, operating hours, thermostat set-point, etc., during the contract period. Empirical data is also used to develop the probability distribution functions for the identified parameters to simulate the actual yearly variations in the post-retrofit conditions. This paper aims at developing a simulation-based method to evaluate the probability of energy saving shortfall taking into account the variations in the influential parameters. Monte Carlo simulation is performed to generate a common set of post-retrofit condition data based on the PDF of the selected parameters. A risk analysis tool based on Monte Carlo simulation (@Risk) [44] was utilised to generate 10,000 common data sets of 7 input parameters for two calibrated building energy models.

title:
  Probabilistic risk assessment of the energy saving shortfall in energy performance contracting projects–A case study

abstract:
  Lack of a proper assessment method on performance risks in Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) projects is one of the reasons hindering the further development of energy service companies (ESCOs) market. This paper proposes a simulation-based method to evaluate the probability of energy saving shortfall taking into account the variations in the influential parameters, including weather conditions, occupancy, operating hours, thermostat set-point, etc., during the contract period. The proposed method involves the use of a detailed building energy simulation programme, sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Empirical data is also used to develop the probability distribution functions for the identified parameters to simulate the actual yearly variations in the post-retrofit conditions. A real case study of replacement of heat rejection system for a central chiller plant in Hong Kong is used to demonstrate the application of this probabilistic method. The result shows that the possible energy savings after a 1-year retrofit period ranges from 393,000 kW h (2.86%) to 1098,000 kW h (10.8%) with 90% statistical significance.


id: cord-329124-yetjd5g5
title: Challenge-driven design for public housing: The case of Hong Kong
author: Deng, Ying
date: 2016-06-30
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263516300097
doi: 10.1016/j.foar.2016.05.001
abstract:
  Abstract Public housing (PH) has existed in Hong Kong for six decades. Previous and current challenges that have been encountered over time function as a collective driver for design progression. However, such challenges have remained under research to be able to draw useful lessons from them. To understand how this established motif can suit the sustainability-conscious era, this study uses Hong Kong as a representative case for sub-tropical compact cities by critiquing its PH design against multiple constraints. The objective of this study is to trace the historical relationships between challenges and design progress as well as to assess current and future implications of sustainability trends on PH design. By synthesizing data from literature, policy documents, and empirical evidence, this research develops an evolution map for PH design in Hong Kong that is driven by seven major challenges. Based on this map, a conceptual framework for intersecting considerations that envisages five main future prospects toward future PH design is also established.


id: cord-330206-34vgo3q5
title: Association between energy use and poor visibility in Hong Kong SAR, China
author: To, W.M.
date: 2014-04-15
txt: ./txt/cord-330206-34vgo3q5.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-330206-34vgo3q5.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32288045/
doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.062
summary:
  Hence, only Table 1 Import of fossil fuels (primary source of energy) in 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 the number of hours of reduced visibility at the Hong Kong Observatory will be used to correlate with fuel uses and in multiple regression analysis because this dataset has a much longer history of forty-one years. Bivariate correlation was performed between the visibility data recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory, the imported energy of each fossil fuel, and meteorological variables including the annual mean air temperature in C, annual mean atmospheric pressure in hPa, annual mean relative humidity in percent, annual total rainfall in mm, and the annual mean wind speed in km/hr. The monthly data of mean air temperature, mean atmospheric pressure, mean relative humidity, total rainfall recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory and mean wind speed recorded at Waglan Table 2 Bivariate correlation between visibility and the imported energy of each fossil fuel.

abstract:
  A city's reliance on energy increases when it is developed. Moreover, the combustion of fossil fuels inevitably generates air pollutants including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and others. Combining with other anthropogenic air pollutants, visibility in many Asian cities including Hong Kong have deteriorated rapidly in the past decades. This paper explores the relationships between energy use, meteorological factors, and change in visibility in Hong Kong using long-term time-series data. The total use of primary energy increased from 146,700 TJ in 1971 to 1,270,865 TJ in 2011 while the number of hours of reduced visibility increased from 184 h to 1398 h during the same period of time. Bivariate correlations show that poor visibility was significantly associated with energy use and annual mean air temperature. Multiple regression analysis indicates that the burning of aviation gasoline significantly, adversely affect visibility. Results illustrate that the number of clear days in Hong Kong will decrease, in particular due to the increase in air traffic.


id: cord-330502-exmk6gmu
author: Chan, Sophia S.C.
date: 2015-01-31
txt: ./txt/cord-330502-exmk6gmu.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-330502-exmk6gmu.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.06.008
doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.06.008
summary:
  title: A nurse-delivered brief health education intervention to improve pneumococcal vaccination rate among older patients with chronic diseases: A cluster randomized controlled trial Objective The aim of this study was to determine if an additional multi-component health education intervention increases the uptake rate of the pneumococcal vaccination among older patients with chronic diseases. Discussion: A nurse-delivered brief health education intervention was effective in increasing uptake of pneumococcal vaccination among older patients with chronic diseases. Discussion: A nurse-delivered brief health education intervention was effective in increasing uptake of pneumococcal vaccination among older patients with chronic diseases. This large cluster randomized controlled trial, therefore, was conducted to test the effectiveness of a nursedelivered multiple component health education intervention on the uptake rate of PPV and awareness of PPV at 3month follow up among older patients with chronic diseases in Hong Kong.

title:
  A nurse-delivered brief health education intervention to improve pneumococcal vaccination rate among older patients with chronic diseases: A cluster randomized controlled trial

abstract:
  Abstract Background The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for elders, especially those with chronic conditions. Objective The aim of this study was to determine if an additional multi-component health education intervention increases the uptake rate of the pneumococcal vaccination among older patients with chronic diseases. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from 3 December 2007 to 7 March 2008. The clusters were the individual weeks within five Hong Kong outpatient clinics over a 10-week period. A sample of 2517 patients aged 65 or above with chronic diseases was recruited. Intervention group received a 3-min brief telephone education intervention before and a 3-min face-to-face intervention during scheduled medical appointments at the respective clinics. All subjects received standard care including health education leaflets and/or a video show at the clinics. Pneumococcal vaccination rate and awareness of the vaccination at 3-month follow up were measured. Results The vaccination rate was higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (57% vs 48%; relative risk=1.20, 95% CI=1.06–1.37), but the two groups did not differ significantly in their awareness of the vaccination at 3-month follow up (65% vs 59%, relative risk=0.86, 95% CI=0.69–1.07). Discussion A nurse-delivered brief health education intervention was effective in increasing uptake of pneumococcal vaccination among older patients with chronic diseases.


id: cord-330868-7ocseuz3
author: Donnelly, Christl A
date: 2003-05-24
txt: ./txt/cord-330868-7ocseuz3.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-330868-7ocseuz3.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12781533/
doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13410-1
summary:
  Public-health interventions included encouragement to report to hospital rapidly after the onset of clinical symptoms, contact tracing for confirmed and suspected cases, and quarantining, monitoring, and restricting the travel of contacts. Public-health interventions included encouragement to report to hospital rapidly after the onset of clinical symptoms, contact tracing for confirmed and suspected cases, and quarantining, monitoring, and restricting the travel of contacts. Key epidemiological determinants of the magnitude and timescale of the epidemic (figure 1) include the interval between infection and onset of symptoms and between onset and hospital admission, the degree and duration of the infectiousness of the agent, and the extent of contact and mixing between infectious and susceptible people enabling transmission of the virus. If ␥ distribution is assumed, the estimated distributions and case fatality rate varied as a function of patients'' age, but not the time from onset to admission (figure 2).

title:
  Epidemiological determinants of spread of causal agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: Health authorities worldwide, especially in the Asia Pacific region, are seeking effective public-health interventions in the continuing epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We assessed the epidemiology of SARS in Hong Kong. METHODS: We included 1425 cases reported up to April 28, 2003. An integrated database was constructed from several sources containing information on epidemiological, demographic, and clinical variables. We estimated the key epidemiological distributions: infection to onset, onset to admission, admission to death, and admission to discharge. We measured associations between the estimated case fatality rate and patients’age and the time from onset to admission. FINDINGS: After the initial phase of exponential growth, the rate of confirmed cases fell to less than 20 per day by April 28. Public-health interventions included encouragement to report to hospital rapidly after the onset of clinical symptoms, contact tracing for confirmed and suspected cases, and quarantining, monitoring, and restricting the travel of contacts. The mean incubation period of the disease is estimated to be 6.4 days (95% Cl 5.2–7.7). The mean time from onset of clinical symptoms to admission to hospital varied between 3 and 5 days, with longer times earlier in the epidemic. The estimated case fatality rate was 13.2% (9.8–16.8) for patients younger than 60 years and 43.3% (35.2–52.4) for patients aged 60 years or older assuming a parametric γ distribution. A non-parametric method yielded estimates of 6.8% (4.0–9.6) and 55.0% (45.3–64.7), respectively. Case clusters have played an important part in the course of the epidemic. INTERPRETATION: Patients’age was strongly associated with outcome. The time between onset of symptoms and admission to hospital did not alter outcome, but shorter intervals will be important to the wider population by restricting the infectious period before patients are placed in quarantine. Published online May 7, 2003 http://image.thelancet.com/extras/03art4453web.pdf


id: cord-331835-nuhrd92z
author: Hung, Kevin K. C.
date: 2018-11-27
txt: ./txt/cord-331835-nuhrd92z.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-331835-nuhrd92z.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30482214/
doi: 10.1186/s12992-018-0438-6
summary:
  title: The role of the hotel industry in the response to emerging epidemics: a case study of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong METHODS: This case study focuses on the epidemic outbreaks of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong, and the subsequent guidelines published by the health authority in relation to the hotel industry in Hong Kong which provide the backbone for discussion. This case study will use the example of the Metropole Hotel in Hong Kong in the international spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, and the effect of the government mandated quarantine of the Metropark Hotel during the swine flu 2009 in Hong Kong. After the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong the health authority established the Guidelines for Hotels in Preventing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) [24] 

title:
  The role of the hotel industry in the response to emerging epidemics: a case study of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: The global travel and tourism industry has been rapidly expanding in the past decades. The traditional focus on border screening, and by airline and cruise industries may be inadequate due to the incubation period of an infectious disease. This case study highlights the potential role of the hotel industry in epidemic preparedness and response. METHODS: This case study focuses on the epidemic outbreaks of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong, and the subsequent guidelines published by the health authority in relation to the hotel industry in Hong Kong which provide the backbone for discussion. RESULTS: The Metropole Hotel hastened the international spread of the 2003 SARS outbreak by the index case infecting visitors from Singapore, Vietnam, Canada as well as local people via close contact with the index case and the environmental contamination. The one-week quarantine of more than 300 guests and staff at the Metropark Hotel during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu exposed gaps in the partnership with the hotel industry. The subsequent guidelines for the hotel industry from the Centre of Health Protection focused largely on the maintenance of hygiene within the hotel premises. CONCLUSION: Positive collaborations may bring about effective preparedness across the health and the tourism sectors for future epidemics. Regular hygiene surveillance at hotel facilities, and developing coordination mechanism for impending epidemics on the use of screening, swift reporting and isolation of infected persons may help mitigate the impact of future events. Preparedness and contingency plans for infectious disease control for the hotel industry requires continuous engagement and dialogue.


id: cord-332563-oo8wler1
author: Chung, Pak-Kwong
date: 2017-07-28
txt: ./txt/cord-332563-oo8wler1.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-332563-oo8wler1.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4608-x
doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4608-x
summary:
  BACKGROUND: This study examined the effectiveness of a theoretical framework that integrates self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining the use of facemasks to prevent seasonal influenza among Hong Kong older adults. At Time 1, older adults (N = 141) completed self-report measures of SDT (perceived autonomy support from senior center staff, autonomous motivation for influenza prevention) and TPB (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention for influenza prevention) constructs with respect to facemask used to prevent infection. Building on an integrated model of SDT and TPB [22, 23, 27] , we tested effects among perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior for facemask wearing during peak influenza season among elderly people in Hong Kong.

title:
  The process by which perceived autonomy support predicts motivation, intention, and behavior for seasonal influenza prevention in Hong Kong older adults

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: This study examined the effectiveness of a theoretical framework that integrates self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining the use of facemasks to prevent seasonal influenza among Hong Kong older adults. METHODS: Data were collected at two time points in the winter in Hong Kong, during which influenza is most prevalent. At Time 1, older adults (N = 141) completed self-report measures of SDT (perceived autonomy support from senior center staff, autonomous motivation for influenza prevention) and TPB (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention for influenza prevention) constructs with respect to facemask used to prevent infection. Two weeks later, at Time 2, participants’ acceptance of a facemask to prevent influenza in the presence of an experimenter with flu-like symptoms was recorded. RESULTS: Path analysis found that perceived autonomy support of senior center staff was positively and significantly linked to autonomous motivation for facemask use, which, in turn, was positively related to intentions to wear facemasks through the mediation of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. However, the effect of intention on facemask use was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally support the proposed framework and the findings of previous studies with respect to intention, but the non-significant intention-behavior relationship may warrant future research to examine the reasons for older adults not to wear facemasks to prevent seasonal influenza despite having positive intentions to do so.


id: cord-334612-lxqcvqca
title: Sars, preschool routines and children’s behaviour: Observations from preschools in Hong Kong
author: Rao, Nirmala
date: 2006
txt: ./txt/cord-334612-lxqcvqca.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-334612-lxqcvqca.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03168205
doi: 10.1007/bf03168205
summary:
  This paper considers the influence of the SARS epidemic on children''s routines and behaviour when preschools re-opened, after a six-week closure. Items on the survey fell into 6 categories including: Information about the preschool and children (21 questions); Routines before the SARS outbreak (4 questions); Learning during School Closure (2 questions); Preparing the kindergarten for re-opening (2 questions); Students return to kindergartens (18 questions); Lessons from SARS (4 questions); and Demographic information about the observers. The 18 items on Students'' return to kindergartens included questions on Daily routines (3 questions); Health issues (2 questions); Social Interaction among children (6 questions); Preschool Management (3 questions); and School Holidays (4 questions). During the SARS outbreak, the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Hong Kong Government issued a curriculum for children ranging in age from 3-6 years. As mentioned earlier the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Hong Kong Government developed a programme for preschool children on SARS.

abstract:
  All schools in Hong Kong were closed in April 2003 to prevent the spread of SARS. This paper considers the influence of the SARS epidemic on children’s routines and behaviour when preschools re-opened, after a six-week closure. Observations were made in 20 kindergartens and principals of another 10 kindergartens completed questionnaires. The influence of SARS was evident in all preschools, be it through teachers and students wearing masks, notices on hand washing or the provision of alcohol dispensers for hand disinfection. The outbreak impacted noticeably upon children’s routines and social exchanges. In all schools, physical contact among children and sharing of food were not allowed. Children were also prohibited from talking to their peers when they had removed their masks. The SARS outbreak provided us a “natural experiment” to consider the influence of epidemics on preschools.


id: cord-335644-gt1ey9wz
author: Wang, Weiwen
date: 2018-02-15
url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.12.018
doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.12.018
title:
  Air ventilation assessment under unstable atmospheric stratification — A comparative study for Hong Kong

abstract:
  In most current air ventilation assessment (AVA) studies, a simple neutral assumption that does not consider thermal effects is adopted, particularly for numerical simulation practices. With statistics of daytime observations during summer in Hong Kong as an example, this study demonstrates that neutral atmospheric boundary conditions occur with a very low probability, which implies that current practices are indeed far away from reality. This study is devoted to addressing this knowledge gap by cross-comparisons of field measurements, wind tunnel tests, and large-eddy simulations (LES) under neutral and unstable conditions. It is found that LES-computed velocity ratios under unstable conditions are in line with field measurements, while results of simulations under neutral conditions are close to those of wind tunnel tests. Enhanced vertical mixing due to surface heating produces improved ventilation performance in the unstable case. The neutral assumption tends to underestimate pedestrian-level velocity ratios compared to a diabatic condition; hence it is deemed conservative when it is adopted in AVA practices. Moreover, stronger wind direction variance under unstable conditions results in weaker correlation between velocity ratios and frontal area indices than neutral conditions, which implies that street orientations become less important in ventilation under unstable conditions.


id: cord-336742-42ebj3gi
author: Demmler, Gail J
date: 2003-07-31
txt: ./txt/cord-336742-42ebj3gi.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-336742-42ebj3gi.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S1045187003000566
doi: 10.1016/s1045-1870(03)00056-6
summary:
  The disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), spread quickly and caused numerous deaths, as well as public panic. The first report of the new disease, given the name "severe acute respiratory syndrome" (SARS), was received by WHO on February 11 from the Chinese Ministry of Health, which documented that 305 cases and 5 deaths had occurred in the Guangdon Province. 2, 5 By March 5, secondary probable SARS cases were identified among healthcare workers in Hanoi, and at the urging of Dr. Urbani and his colleagues, Vietnam closed the hospital to new patients and visitors on March 11. A cluster of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Singapore: Clinical features of index patient and initial contacts Identification of a novel coronavirus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome

title:
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): a review of the history, epidemiology, prevention, and concerns for the future

abstract:
  Abstract During the first part of 2003, the world experienced the first epidemic of the 21st century with the emergence of a new and readily transmissible disease. The disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), spread quickly and caused numerous deaths, as well as public panic. This article provides a brief review of the initial history of the epidemiology, as well as of the clinical definition, occurrence in the pediatric population, etiology, prevention, drug studies, and considerations for the future.


id: cord-338098-hsy9qts3
title: Genome Sequences of SARS-CoV-2 Strains Detected in Hong Kong
author: Au, Chun Hang
date: 2020-07-30
txt: ./txt/cord-338098-hsy9qts3.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-338098-hsy9qts3.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00697-20
doi: 10.1128/mra.00697-20
summary:
  title: Genome Sequences of SARS-CoV-2 Strains Detected in Hong Kong We sequenced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from deep throat saliva samples of three imported cases in Hong Kong by Nanopore sequencing. Epidemiological and clinical features of these coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were presented for genomic epidemiology studies. We report here the genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 strains detected from three imported cases in Hong Kong. Case 3 (59-year-old man, HKSH0007) had symptom onset on 21 March after returning from Germany to Hong Kong and tested positive on 1 April. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they descended from European samples (88%, 88%, and 100% confidence for cases 1, 2, and 3, respectively) and were distinct from most other Hong Kong sequences (Fig. 1A) . Although the disease severities of cases 1 and 2 were different, there was no detectable difference between their SARS-CoV-2 genomes (Fig. 1B) .

abstract:
  We sequenced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from deep throat saliva samples of three imported cases in Hong Kong by Nanopore sequencing. Epidemiological and clinical features of these coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were presented for genomic epidemiology studies.


id: cord-339070-jnmogy7s
title: Influenza associated mortality in the subtropics and tropics: Results from three Asian cities
author: Yang, Lin
date: 2011-11-08
txt: ./txt/cord-339070-jnmogy7s.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-339070-jnmogy7s.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X11014903
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.09.071
summary:
  In this study, we applied a standardized modeling strategy to the mortality and virology data from three Asian cities: subtropical Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and tropical Singapore, to estimate the disease burden of influenza in these cities. Mortality data for each city were obtained from Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department (coded according to the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision, ICD-10), Guangzhou Department of Health (coded in ICD-10) and Singapore Registry of Births and Deaths (coded in ICD-9), respectively. The present study adopted a standardized modeling approach to show that the overall influenza burden was comparable between the two subtropical cities Guangzhou and Hong Kong, but lower in the tropical Singapore. Annual excess all-cause mortality rates associated with influenza (per 100,000 population) between Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore, all-ages group.

abstract:
  Influenza has been well documented to significantly contribute to winter increase of mortality in the temperate countries, but its severity in the subtropics and tropics was not recognized until recently and geographical variations of disease burden in these regions remain poorly understood. In this study, we applied a standardized modeling strategy to the mortality and virology data from three Asian cities: subtropical Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and tropical Singapore, to estimate the disease burden of influenza in these cities. We found that influenza was associated with 10.6, 13.4 and 8.3 deaths per 100,000 population in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore, respectively. The annual rates of excess deaths in the elders were estimated highest in Guangzhou and lowest in Singapore. The excess death rate attributable to A/H1N1 subtype was found slightly higher than the rates attributable to A/H3N2 during the study period of 2004–2006 based on the data from Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Our study revealed a geographical variation in the disease burden of influenza in these subtropical and tropical cities. These results highlight a need to explore the determinants for severity of seasonal influenza.


id: cord-340993-qb9jlt9f
title: Threat to democracy: Physical and mental health impact of democracy movement in Hong Kong
author: Kai Hou, Wai
date: 2015-11-01
txt: ./txt/cord-340993-qb9jlt9f.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-340993-qb9jlt9f.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26232750/
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.07.005
summary:
  Respondents gave their informed consent and reported personal, social, and economic resource loss since the Umbrella Movement (Conservation of Resources-Evaluation), current anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and self-rated health (1=very good, 4=very bad). Multivariable regressions revealed that personal and social resource loss was associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms and greater odds of "very poor" health (adjusted odds ratios/incidence rate ratios=5–102%), independent of lower education level and income and being unmarried. Social or political unrest has the power of depleting internal and external resources and contributes to poorer mental and physical health (Hall et al., 2014; Hobfoll, 1998 Hobfoll, , 2009 , but very few studies to date have reported the psychological and health impact Table 2 Adjusted odds ratios/incidence rate ratios for higher anxiety and depressive symptoms and poorer self-rated health by personal, social, and economic resource loss, socioeconomic resources (education, income, employment status, and marital status), and other demographics.

abstract:
  BACKGROUND: This study examined the prevalence and critical predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms and self-rated health, following the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. Methods: Random digit dialing recruited a population-representative sample of 1208 Chinese Hong Kong citizens (mean age=46.89 years; 63% female) in the first two weeks of February 2015. Respondents gave their informed consent and reported personal, social, and economic resource loss since the Umbrella Movement (Conservation of Resources-Evaluation), current anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and self-rated health (1=very good, 4=very bad). RESULTS: A total of 47.35% (95% CI=44.55, 50.17) respondents reported moderate/severe anxiety symptoms and 14.4% (95% CI=12.54, 16.50) reported moderate/severe depressive symptoms; 9.11% (95% CI=7.61, 10.86) reported “poor” or “very poor” health. Multivariable regressions revealed that personal and social resource loss was associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms and greater odds of “very poor” health (adjusted odds ratios/incidence rate ratios=5–102%), independent of lower education level and income and being unmarried. LIMITATIONS: This study was cross-sectional in nature and thus could not determine causality from the associations between resource loss and outcome variables. Second, the telephone survey relied on self-reports; response bias and social desirability could influence respondents' answers and discount data validity. Third, potential confounders such as preexisting mental and physical health issues and concurrent predictors like exposure to the Umbrella Movement were not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies following any recent political movement (e.g., The Arab Spring) to quantify distress and the associated correlates of distress among affected citizens. Perceived psychosocial resource losses were critical predictors of poor outcomes.


id: cord-342989-9ie8mx4l
author: Lam, Simon Ching
date: 2020-07-15
txt: ./txt/cord-342989-9ie8mx4l.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-342989-9ie8mx4l.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00686
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00686
summary:
  However, what remains largely absent from the literature to date, is an examination of actual pandemic situations and if perceived risk (vulnerability and fear of contracting) and mitigations (effectiveness of face masks and knowledge of COVID-19) are associated with mental health difficulties, such as depression, in physicians and nurses. Among the health beliefs, feeling susceptible and fearful of contracting COVID-19, as well as difficulty obtaining face masks are associated with higher risk of depression ( Table 4) . To our knowledge, we are the first group to report the mental health status, specifically depression, among a large sample of HCWs across both the pandemic and non-pandemic regions of China as well as Hong Kong and to examine the relevance of perceived risk and protection from infection in relation to depression.

title:
  Perceived Risk and Protection From Infection and Depressive Symptoms Among Healthcare Workers in Mainland China and Hong Kong During COVID-19

abstract:
  Psychological health among healthcare workers (HCWs) has become a major concern since the COVID-19 outbreak. HCWs perceived risks of contracting COVID-19, in relation to depression were investigated. It was hypothesized that perceived high risk of contracting COVID-19 (close contact with cases, inadequate provision of personal protective equipment, insufficient infection control training, and presence of symptoms) would be significant predictors of depression. Our cross-sectional survey was completed by HCWs across three regions (Hubei, Guangdong, Hong Kong) between March 9 to April 9 2020 using convenience sampling. Depression was assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Prevalence of depression was 50.4% (95% CI: 44.5-56.2), 15.1% (10.1-21.9) and 12.9% (10.3-16.2) for HCWs in Hong Kong, Hubei and Guangdong, respectively. The strongest significant risk factors for depression, after adjustment, were HCWs who reported the greatest extent of feeling susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and those who reported the greatest difficulty obtaining face masks. HCWs whose family/peers greatly encouraged face mask use had lower prevalence of depression. Access to adequate supplies of personal protective equipment is essential for the psychological health of HCWs working in stressful environments, through potentially easing their perceptions of vulnerability to COVID-19.


id: cord-343941-nfdplszh
author: Wong, Lai-yi
date: 2013-04-02
txt: ./txt/cord-343941-nfdplszh.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-343941-nfdplszh.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1269-6
doi: 10.1007/s11655-012-1269-6
summary:
  OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of a herbal formula in the prevention of influenza or influenza-like syndrome among elderies residing in old-people''s home in Hong Kong. METHODS: In ten old people''s home or community centres in New Territories, Hong Kong, 740 eligible subjects agreed to join the study and were randomized to receive a herbal formula or a placebo on alternate days over 8 weeks. RESULTS: Seventy-two participants developed influenza-like-symptoms but none of them was proven influenza in their nasopharyngeal swabs, 40 of these patients belonged to the herbal group and 32 to the placebo group, without significant differences between groups. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of the herbal preparation previously used for the prevention of SARS against endemic influenza among a group of at risk elderly people. In each old-age home or elderly centre the participants were randomized separately within the vaccinated group or non-vaccinated group to receive either herbal preparation or placebo.

title:
  A herbal formula for prevention of influenza-like syndrome: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

abstract:
  OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of a herbal formula in the prevention of influenza or influenza-like syndrome among elderies residing in old-people’s home in Hong Kong. The secondary objectives are to investigate the quality of life (QOL) and symptomology changes among the herbal users and to evaluate the safety of this formula. METHODS: In ten old people’s home or community centres in New Territories, Hong Kong, 740 eligible subjects agreed to join the study and were randomized to receive a herbal formula or a placebo on alternate days over 8 weeks. Among those 740 participants, 113 had provided blood samples for immunological assessments before and after the study drug. Assessments were done at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Participants were instructed to keep a daily record of body temperature and any symptoms as sore throat, myalgia, running nose or cough, and to report to assessor accordingly. Those reporting body temperature of 37.8 °C and above would be visited and a proper nasopharyngeal swab be taken for viral study. RESULTS: Seventy-two participants developed influenza-like-symptoms but none of them was proven influenza in their nasopharyngeal swabs, 40 of these patients belonged to the herbal group and 32 to the placebo group, without significant differences between groups. The difference on the changes in QOL between the two groups was not statistically significant. However, in the immunological study, the natural killer cell absolute count was significantly increased in the herbal group compared with the placebo group (463±253 vs 413±198, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The herbal preparation was not effective compared with placebo in the prevention of influenza-like syndrome. It was however safe and possibly supporting immunological responses.


id: cord-350031-2c9x55hx
author: Zhao, Sheng Zhi
date: 2020-09-14
txt: ./txt/cord-350031-2c9x55hx.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-350031-2c9x55hx.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32937929/
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186692
summary:
  Compliance with social distancing and staying-at-home, stress (Perceived Stress Scale-4), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorders-2), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) were collected. The association of mental health symptoms including stress, anxiety and depression with the number of measures adopted, number of days stayed-at-home and perceived effectiveness and compliance were calculated by multivariable linear (for stress) and logistic (for anxiety and depression) regressions. Effect modifications by age (18-59, 65+ years) and education attainment (primary or below, secondary, and tertiary) on the associations between mental health symptoms, stay-at-home and compliance with social distancing were assessed using the interaction terms. Perceived effectiveness and compliance with social distancing measures were associated with lower stress levels and risks for anxiety and depressive symptoms (all p < 0.001). We have provided the first evidence on compliance with non-pharmaceutical community containment strategies including stay-at-home and social distancing and their associations with mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

title:
  Social Distancing Compliance under COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Impacts: A Population-Based Study

abstract:
  The success of public health measures for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic relies on population compliance. We analyzed compliance with social distancing and its associations with mental health. The Hong Kong COVID-19 Health Information Survey was conducted from 9–23 April 2020 on 1501 adults randomly sampled for landline telephone interviews (n = 500) and online surveys (n = 1001). Compliance with social distancing and staying-at-home, stress (Perceived Stress Scale-4), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorders-2), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) were collected. The associations between mental health symptoms and compliance were examined by multivariable regression models. Of the 1501 respondents (52.5% female, 72.3% aged 18–59 years), 74.2%, 72.7%, and 59.7% reported avoiding going out, going to crowded places, and attending social gatherings of more than four people, respectively. Most respondents had stayed-at-home for at least four of the past seven days (58.4%; mean 4.12, Standard Deviation 2.05). Adoption, perceived effectiveness, and perceived compliance with social distancing were associated with lower stress levels and less anxiety and depressive symptoms (all p < 0.01). However, more days stayed-at-home were associated with more depressive symptoms (adjusted Odds Ratio 1.09; 95%Confidence Interval 1.00, 1.18). The long-term psychological impact in relation to social distancing and staying-at-home requires further investigation.


id: cord-350861-kxwgpymq
title: H5N1 Outbreaks and Enzootic Influenza
author: Webster, Robert G.
date: 2006-01-17
txt: ./txt/cord-350861-kxwgpymq.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-350861-kxwgpymq.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16494709/
doi: 10.3201/eid1201.051024
summary:
  The highly pathogenic H5 virus reassorted its genome with those of other influenza viruses in aquatic birds, and the resulting viruses spread to domestic poultry farms, humans, and occasionally to pigs. Multiple opportunities exist for control of highly pathogenic avian influenza: 1) prevent contact between wild and domestic poultry by use of screened poultry houses and treated water; 2) prevent contact between domestic waterfowl and gallinaceous poultry by use of screened houses and treated water and by exclusion of waterfowl from "wet markets"; 3) eradicate H5/H7 influenza viruses from gallinaceous poultry by culling or the use of vaccines that prevent disease and transmission; 4) prevent contact between poultry, pigs, and humans and make vaccines and antiviral drugs available. After late 2002, when H5N1 viruses had killed waterfowl in Kowloon Park in Hong Kong, most avian H5N1 isolates isolated in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia were highly pathogenic to chickens and domestic ducks.

abstract:
  Ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in migratory waterfowl, domestic poultry, and humans in Asia during the summer of 2005 present a continuing, protean pandemic threat. We review the zoonotic source of highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses and their genesis from their natural reservoirs. The acquisition of novel traits, including lethality to waterfowl, ferrets, felids, and humans, indicates an expanding host range. The natural selection of nonpathogenic viruses from heterogeneous subpopulations cocirculating in ducks contributes to the spread of H5N1 in Asia. Transmission of highly pathogenic H5N1 from domestic poultry back to migratory waterfowl in western China has increased the geographic spread. The spread of H5N1 and its likely reintroduction to domestic poultry increase the need for good agricultural vaccines. In fact, the root cause of the continuing H5N1 pandemic threat may be the way the pathogenicity of H5N1 viruses is masked by cocirculating influenza viruses or bad agricultural vaccines.


id: cord-351030-jqqxqjzf
author: Rui, M.
date: 2020-05-16
txt: ./txt/cord-351030-jqqxqjzf.txt
cache: ./cache/cord-351030-jqqxqjzf.txt
extension: .txt
mime: text/plain
url: http://medrxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.13.20099978v1?rss=1
doi: 10.1101/2020.05.13.20099978
summary:
  title: A Sparse Gaussian Network Model for Prediction the Growth Trend of COVID-19 Overseas Import Case: When can Hong Kong Lift the International Traffic Blockad? This article establishes an epidemic spread relationship network between Hong Kong and various countries and regions around the world and build a regression model based on network information to fit Hong Kong''s COV-19 epidemic growth data. Therefore, this article first uses the SEIJR model to predict the growth curve of the number of local diagnoses in countries and regions related to Hong Kong. This result shows that we can use the data based on the relation network to fit the existing case growth situation in Hong Kong. 13.20099978 doi: medRxiv preprint Finally, we used the SEJIR model to simulate the cumulative case growth data of 23 countries and regions related to Hong Kong.

title:
  A Sparse Gaussian Network Model for Prediction the Growth Trend of COVID-19 Overseas Import Case: When can Hong Kong Lift the International Traffic Blockad?

abstract:
  The COVID-19 virus was first discovered from China. It has been widely spread internationally. Currently, compare with the rising trend of the overall international epidemic situation, China's domestic epidemic situation has been contained and shows a steady and upward trend. In this situation, overseas imports have become the main channel for china to increase the number of infected people. Therefore, how to track the spread channel of international epidemics and predict the growth of overseas case imports is become an open research question. This study proposes a Gaussian sparse network model based on lasso and uses Hong Kong as an example. To explore the COVID-19 virus from a network perspective and analyzes 75 consecutive days of COV-19 data in 188 countries and regions around the world. This article establishes an epidemic spread relationship network between Hong Kong and various countries and regions around the world and build a regression model based on network information to fit Hong Kong's COV-19 epidemic growth data. The results show that the regression model based on the relationship network can better fit the existing cumulative number growth curve. After combining the SEIJR model, we predict the future development trend of cumulative cases in Hong Kong (without blocking international traffic). Based on the prediction results, we suggest that Hong Kong can lift the international traffic blockade from early to mid-June


id: cord-354661-wls1rd7d
author: Suen, Yiu-tung
date: 2020-08-03
url: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178120319703?v=s5
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113365
title:
  Effects of general and sexual minority-specific COVID-19-related stressors on the mental health of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Hong Kong

abstract:
  The impact of COVID-19 on mental health has begun to be widely recognized. While the mental health of socially marginalized groups has been examined, there is an absence of studies on how the mental health of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people have been affected. 857 LGB people in Hong Kong participated in a community-based survey study. Over one-fourth of them met the criteria for probable clinical depression (31.5%) and generalized anxiety disorder (27.9%). Besides general stressors, we identified sexual minority-specific stressors during the pandemic. 4.2% of the participants indicated that they had frequently experienced family conflict related to sexual orientation. One-third responded that they had largely reduced connection to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) community (34.7%). The results showed that sexual minority-specific COVID-19-related stressors significantly contributed to the variance explained in depressive and anxiety symptoms, beyond the contribution of general COVID-19-related stressors. Since LGB people are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, LGB people-targeting organizations need to understand more about family, space and privacy concerns in order to provide better support, and LGB safe spaces and shelters may be needed as a policy response.


id: cord-354832-lps2qbxy
title: The Common Missed Handwashing Instances and Areas after 15 Years of Hand-Hygiene Education
author: Wong, J. S. W.
date: 2019-08-08
url: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5928924
doi: 10.1155/2019/5928924
abstract:
  The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) claimed the lives of 286 Hong Kong people in 2003. Since then, the Hong Kong government has been promoting the benefits of proper hand hygiene. There are few studies that explore the general quality of handwashing and the hand-hygiene practices of the public of Hong Kong; given this, the aim of this study is to explore this neglected topic. This study is a quantitative study that was conducted in January 2018. The results show that the majority of participants only wash their hands after using the toilet (87%) or handling vomitus or faecal matter (91%). The mean duration of handwashing was 36.54 seconds (SD = 18.57). The areas of the hand most neglected during handwashing were the fingertips (48.1%), medial area (30.5%), and back of the hand (28%). A multiple logistic regression shows that participants who have reached third-level education or higher often tend to be more hand hygienic than those who have not reached third-level education (p ≤ 0.001, B = 1.003). Thus, participants aged 30 and above tend to neglect 5 more areas of the hand than those aged below 30 (p=0.001, B = 4.933).


