Update on Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent (Novel Coronavirus in Wuhan)

NOTICE

 

Ref.	:	HSE0004/19-20
To	:	All Staff & Students
From	:	Prof Shang Weixin, Chairman, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Committee
Date	:	23 January 2020

 

Dear Colleagues and Students,

 

Further to our email dated 17 January 2020, HSE Committee would like to update colleagues and students with the following:

 

In view of the latest situation and risk assessment, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

 

Students and staff is advised to avoid unnecessary travel to Wuhan of Hubei Province. If it is unavoidable to travel to Wuhan, please put on surgical mask and monitor body temperature and continue to do so until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, you should wear surgical mask and seek medical consultation promptly and inform the doctor of the travel history. It is advised to go to the nearest emergency room of any public hospital. The closest one to our campus is Tuen Mun Hospital.

 

According to the information provided by CHP and Tuen Mun Hospital, anyone with fever or respiratory symptoms, and fulfils one of the following criteria: travelled to Hubei or Wuhan; visited hospital in Mainland; in close contact with a confirmed patient of 2019-nCoV, will be considered as a suspected case, and will be admitted to a hospital with isolation facility. Rapid testing for the new coronavirus will be conducted, with result to be available in 24 hours. When there is confirmation of novel coronavirus case related to our University, Department of Health will liaise with the University and conduct contact tracing and medical surveillance for persons who come into contact with sick person(s).  Depending on the risk assessment, camp confinement may be considered for asymptomatic persons who have direct contact with the sick person (s).

 

To prevent pneumonia and respiratory tract infection, colleagues and students should always maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and stay alert on the advice of CHP as below:

• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes; after touching public installations such as handrails or door knobs; or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Maintain drainage pipes properly and add water to the U-traps regularly to ensure environmental hygiene;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, performing hand hygiene with 70 to 80% alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative;
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly; and
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending class at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly.
• N95 respirators are generally not recommended for use by general public in community settings because if not worn or removed properly, the risk of contracting the disease would be increased.

 

Health advice below should be taken heed of when travelling outside Hong Kong:

• Avoid visiting hospitals. If it is necessary to visit a hospital, put on a surgical mask and observe strict personal and hand hygiene.
• Avoid making close contact with patients, especially those with symptoms of acute respiratory infections.
• Avoid touching animals (including game), poultry / birds or their droppings.
• Avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms.
• Do not consume game meat and do not patronize food premises where game meat is served.
• Adhere to food safety and hygiene rules such as avoiding consuming raw or undercooked animal products, including milk, eggs and meat, or foods which may be contaminated by animal secretions, excretions (such as urine) or contaminated products, unless they have been properly cooked, washed or peeled.
• If feeling unwell when outside Hong Kong, especially if experiencing a fever or cough, wear a surgical mask, inform the hotel staff or tour escort and seek medical advice at once; and
• After returning to Hong Kong, consult a doctor promptly if experiencing a fever or other symptoms, take the initiative to inform the doctor of any recent travel history and any exposure to animals, and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease.

 

In response to the latest development, the following measures are in place:

• Increased frequency of cleaning of public facilities;
• Increased points of hand sanitizer (please refer to the map below);
• Thermometers provided for body temperature check upon request at Security Counter of Hostel Blocks, Security Control Room on G/F Wong Administration Building and Campus Support Office on LG/F Indoor Sports Complex;
• As the stock of surgical masks on campus is limited with scarce supply in market, the University can only provide masks to those students and colleagues who are having fever and/or respiratory symptoms or had  experienced one of the following within 14 days:
  1. visited Wuhan;
  2. visited a medical hospital in the Mainland;
  3. had close contact with a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus while that patient was symptomatic in past 14 days at the moment.

 

During Office Hours
COFMD(O&M) - Campus Support Office	2616-7134
Human Resources Office	2616-8962
Student Services Centre	2616-7309
During Non-Office Hours
Security Control (24-hour)	2616-8000

Thank you for your kind attention.

 

Best Regards
Weixin Shang

Chairman, Health, Safety and Environment Committee